XMen: Apocalypse Rising
by KiloWhiskeyOscar
Summary: Some time after the Alcatraz incident, the X-Men and the Brotherhood learn that the so-called "Cure" isn't as permanent as believed. While the rival groups face the possibility of an altered "Legacy" cure, Nathaniel Essex works behind the scenes to resurrect a bieng believed to be the world's first mutant. Calling himself Apocalypse, he intend to shape the world in his own image.
1. Prologue & Just Another Day

Disclaimer: Well, I'm back once again and I'd like to wish everybody a Happy New Year with my very first X-Men story (not counting the Evolution one shot) As usual, I don't own the rights to X-Men. What did you expect? Well, here we go again!

* * *

_Prologue_

_ Egypt; 3000 BC---_

_ The darkened sky was littered by countless stars, some streaking through toward an unknowable destination. The stars served another purpose as well, as they lit the way for the small band of nomad traveling across the landscape. Led by the warrior Baal, these Sandstormers traversed for miles, enduring the swirling winds and the scorching sands. Then Baal heard a far different sound within the wind: the sound of crying, very faint but very near. Baal followed the sound for miles at a time until he and his brethren discovered the unlikely source. Wrapped snuggly in a series of cloth was a crying infant, apparently having been abandoned for some stretch of time. Baal picked the infant up from the sand and his brethren gathered around him. The infant locked eyes with Baal as he gently pulled the cloth from its face. The other nomads cringed at the sight of the infant, seeing that its skin was a pale gray and a series of markings traced it. But Baal stared curiously at the unusual infant and, as if he possessed clairvoyance, raised the infant into the air. The other nomads reluctantly bowed to their leader and so too, did they bow to the infant. Perhaps it was fate… nay, destiny that the Sandstormers happened across the unusual child. Or perhaps, it was the beginning of the end._

_ Throughout the following years, Baal raised the infant as his own and bestowed upon it the name En Sabah Nur. The First One. The infant child grew to become a powerful and feared warrior. He was feared even by his own brethren, not just for his prowess in battle, but also for his bizarre appearance. Although he'd grown withdrawn and ostracized as a result, En Sabah Nur proved his worth in combat, ever at the side of his adoptive father. Baal taught Nur every known aspect of the Sandstormers, including the one notion by which the tribe lived: Survival of the fittest. The weak must die to make room for the strong. One fateful day, the Sandstormers were all but annihilated by the army of General Ozymandias, Only Baal and Nur survived as they took refuge within a mysterious tomb, but Baal had been mortally wounded and died. His lasts words to Nur were…_

_ "It is, has always been, your destiny to rule the world, as the ancient prophecies foretold."_

_ Enraged at the loss of the only father he'd ever known, Nur unleashed the full force of a latent power within him, slaughtering Ozymandias and him army. Nur then journeyed alone for years after, eventually reaching the great pyramids of Giza. It was there that he confronted the Pharaoh Rama-Tut. The Pharaoh, like Baal before him, saw the untapped potential in the young Nur and took him under his wing. However, Nur had ulterior motives. Once he mastered the bizarre powers that surged within him, Nur would betray and murder Rama-Tut. He would then take control of the Pharaoh's empire and soon after, discover an advanced technology hidden beneath the sands. Nur would take this technology and, inspired by his enemies' depictions of his ruthlessness in battle, would come to call himself…Apocalypse._

* * *

X-MEN  
APOCALYPSE RISING

Chapter I  
Just Another Day

Egypt: Present Day

Miguel Farris was considered a gravedigger by the residents of a nearby village. Obviously, they didn't take kindly to gravediggers. Miguel didn't see himself as such. He was an archeologist. His occupation made it necessary for him to enter the tombs of Egypt, so the villagers' collective dislike of him didn't bother him. Miguel couldn't say the same about his partner. He was strange, to say the least. No, strange didn't begin to describe Nathaniel Essex. Sinister sounded about right and that was something Miguel felt no desire to question. He instead journeyed deeper into the tomb which he and Nathaniel were exploring. Miguel shined a flashlight on the wall and carefully brushed the dust away. The glyphs he found were very different from what he was used to seeing. And they seemed to be… glowing?

"What have you found, Farris?" Nathaniel Essex asked with a menacing tone in his voice.

Despite being slightly startled, Miguel answered, "Take a look at these glyphs. They look nothing like the glyphs we found at the ruins in Cairo. They're very unique, for lack of a better term."

"Somehow, I doubt "unique" is the optimum word," Nathaniel said, his tone having not changed. "Let's see if we can go a little deeper."

The duo did go deeper into the tomb, perhaps deeper than anyone in recorded history had ever gone. It soon became pitch black as Nathaniel and Miguel continued on and on. Their flashlights barely penetrated into the darkness, but it was quite obvious they reached solid ground. It was just a question of far below the surface they'd gone. Miguel shined his light around wherever he and Nathaniel were standing, and he was startled by the sight of statue of a Pharaoh. Much like the glyphs before, this statue didn't look anything like any that Miguel had seen in his career. Nathaniel seemed to find a torch of some sort and he lit the area. The tomb itself was massive. Many more identical statues lined the walls, which were littered with millions of glyphs. Miguel's sight rested on something else.

"This appears some sort of door, possibly leading further into an antechamber." Miguel said as he examined the intricately designed door.

Nathaniel approached the door and ran his hand across it. "Can it be opened?"

Miguel further examined the door. "There doesn't appear to be any key holes of any sort. Whatever type of treasure lies behind this door, nobody's getting to it."

"Oh, I believe I can find a means of opening this door," The last cryptic comment from Nathaniel left Miguel in confusion. A moment later, Miguel was dead on the floor, literally stabbed in the back, to which Nathaniel coldly said, "Thank you for your assistance."

Nathaniel slowly backed away from the massive door as Miguel's blood appeared to flow down a series of grooves in the floor. These grooves lead to the door and the blood seeped underneath. A smile crept onto Nathaniel face. His teeth appeared jagged, as if Nathaniel had spent a stretch of time filing them. A seemingly minor tremor started and steadily increased in intensity. Nathaniel Essex stood back as the massive door began to slowly open. Debris fell from the ceiling of the tomb and then the tremor ended as quickly as it started. Nathaniel looked on passed the opened door and found, not to any surprise on his part, saw another door.

Nathaniel dropped down to a knee and said, "By the blood of an innocent, the first door has been opened. I await your instructions on the next door," Nathaniel was silent for a long moment, but he could a massive shiver down his spine. "I understand. The next key will be located with all haste, and the world will again bow before the glory of Apocalypse."

* * *

Westchester, New York

"Immortality: the notion of ever lasting life," Dr. Henry McCoy, AKA Beast, kept the newest students of the Xavier Institute focused on him. "But is that the one true meaning of the word, or just one of many?"

Jubilee, a long time student of the school, put her hand up with a pencil in it. "Immortality can have multiple meanings in the English dictionary."

"Such as?" Hank asked.

"Such as, um," Jubilee stammered for a moment. "Achieving everlasting fame, or living forever in the hearts of a person's loved one."

Hank nodded his furry blue head in approval. "That's a very good answer, Jubilee. Good job." Then he took notice of Ororo Monroe, AKA Storm, leaning in the doorway. "Well, I believe that should bring an end to our session. We'll continue at a later date."

The students all gathered their books and started out the door, making certain not to bump into Ororo. Jubilee was actually nudged slightly by another female student but paid it no mind. Ororo smirked at the kids and then turned toward Hank.

"Looks like you're settling in nicely as a teacher, Hank." she exclaimed.

"Well, I figured that with things the way they've been lately, without Charles or Scott and Jean," Hank said. "My place was here at the school. What can I do for you, Ororo?"

"I was wondering if you had any idea where I could find Logan." Ororo said.

Hank thought about the request for a moment and then said, "The last I've seen Logan, he was on his way to the Danger Room this morning. To the best of my knowledge, he's still there."

* * *

Logan, AKA Wolverine, rushed through the seemingly endless rubble of war torn Moscow. It was a mere Danger Room simulation, and Logan would've preferred that actually city. Lagan stopped short of an alleyway and sniffed out his target. He was here. Logan could smell him even though it was supposed to be a holographic image. In the shadows some distance behind him, an elongated metal tentacle crept silently toward Logan. Logan cocked an eyebrow and knew full well his target was behind him. The metallic tentacle suddenly whipped right at Logan, but Logan dodged out of the way just in time. Logan landed on his feet and turned toward his attacker, extending his adamantium claws along the way. The attacker emerged from the shadows. He appeared to be Russian with blonde hair and glowing red eyes, standing about nearly seven feet and wore red and sliver armor. According to the computer, he was called Omega Red.

"Come and get me, asshole!" Logan snarled.

Being only a holographic image, Omega Red couldn't answer and swiftly attacked Logan. Logan charged at his foe head on, claws extended and a feral expression on his face. Omega Red extended two metal tentacles and whipped wildly at Logan, and Logan ducked beneath them and slashed Omega Red across the chest. The claws barely left their mark, so Logan attacked the vulnerable spot: the face. Omega Red lashed at Logan as relentlessly as Logan clawed at Omega Red. Logan slashed Omega Red in the leg, bringing the massive Russian to one knee and then tackling him to the ground. In a relentless show of ferociousness, Logan clawed, scratched and slashed at Omega Red until Omega Red caught Logan with one of his tentacles. Omega Red stood up from the ground and whipped Logan back and forth between rubble, even slamming him into the ground on occasion.

Logan was still coherent thanks to his healing factor, defiantly shouting, "That all you got bub?"

Omega Red didn't answer, or wouldn't answer, being only a hologram anyway. Regardless, he viciously continued slamming Logan into every available surface. Logan finally planted his feet to the ground and in a massive show of strength, took Red's own tentacle and whipped Red through a wall. Omega Red was down. Logan stalked his foe and violently pulled both tentacles from his arms. Even as Omega Red tried to kick him away, Logan went berserk and slashed madly at his face. Having lost himself in his rage, Logan quickly turned and tried to impale the new intruder he'd just sensed. It turned to be Kitty Pryde, who was overly thankful of her phasing powers.

"Um, was I interrupting something?" she asked as if having Logan's claws phasing threw her stomach was a routine thing.

Logan felt like a fool and shouted, "Freeze program," The Danger Room session came to a stop, as did the Omega Red hologram. Logan then retracted his claws and told Kitty, "I could've skewered you, half-pint. What do you want?"

"Well for one thing, you could stop calling me "half-pint," Kitty snidely remarked, which earned her an annoyed look from Logan. Kitty continued, "That, and Storm needs to talk to you."

Logan shook his head in more annoyance. "Can't it wait? I'm in the middle of something."

"So I noticed," Kitty said. "But Storm said it was pretty important and it can't wait."

Logan cursed under his breath and then said, "Alright, alright. Save Danger Room session, Omega Red."

A computerized voice responded, "Acknowledged; session saved."

Logan turned to Kitty. "This better be good, half-pint." Leave it to Logan to get in the last word, and much to Kitty's annoyance.

* * *

The elevator came to a sudden stop, something Logan tended to find very annoying at best. Maybe more so than having Kitty interrupt his sessions from time to time. Logan stepped out of the elevator and standing before Logan was Ororo, her arms crossed and her lips pouting. Logan must've done something to annoy the silver haired weather witch. Maybe that nick name he'd given her. Oh hell, he gave all the X-Men nicknames they didn't like. He called Kitty _half-hint_, he called Bobby Drake _ice cube_, called Hank McCoy _fur ball_ and even called Jubilee _sparky_. Apparently, the nick name of weather witch irked Ororo to the point of wanting to electrocute Logan. He'd most likely survive. Most likely.

Logan shrugged his broad shoulders and simply asked, "What?"

"We need to talk." Ororo said a flat tone.

"Hey, if this is about the front yard fountain, I said I was sorry." Logan said. He did get scalded by Ororo for destroying the fountain last month.

"Not that," Ororo corrected. "We need to talk about Rogue. She's been unusually distant lately, and more than you are from time to time."

Logan had to agree with Ororo on that one. Rogue had been getting increasingly distant from the rest of team, ever since she took the cure. The fact that Bobby broke up with her didn't help matters. It was just as unusual when Rogue had elected to remain at the school at all. Logan would've thought that Rogue would've returned to Mississippi, but she stayed in the school.

"Let me guess," Logan said. "You want me to talk to her."

"It probably wouldn't hurt." Ororo quipped.

"Oh, for Christ's sake," Logan started marching down the halls of the institute with Ororo following. "And what the hell am I supposed to say? Why don't you talk to Rogue?"

"Because she's closer to you than anyone else here, Logan," Ororo pointed out. "I know it sounds strange, but Rogue sees you as…"

Logan turned sharply and faced Ororo. "As what? A father figure? Storm, I can't even remember my own father, or if I ever had a family to begin with."

"Well, now's a good time to start one," Ororo said and then walked past Logan. She turned, walking backwards and said, "Things are hard enough without the professor to help us through."

Again, Logan was forced into agreeing Ororo. It's been tough keeping the institute afloat since the loss of Professor Xavier. Some of the students actually left the school, including Colossus who elected to return to Russia to support his own family. On the other hand, Warren Worthington III, better known as Angel, helped to provide the funds to keep the school open. That was one problem solved, but now Logan had to deal with Rogue. He would've been better off if Magneto ripped out his entire adamantium skeleton, had the latter still had his powers.

_C'mon, Logan, it's Rogue for God's sake, _he thought to himself. _You've talked to the kid plenty of times. What's one more time?_

Honestly, Logan didn't know if he was trying to convince himself or not. He'd convinced himself that he was in love with Jean, and look how that turned out. Logan kept telling himself that he did the right thing in _saving_ Jean. He kept telling himself that Jean was resting in peace along with Scott and Xavier. That didn't make it right, what Logan was forced to do. That was then, this was now. Logan decided to risk it and see about talking to Rogue. God willing, she'll take the time to listen. Now, it was just a question of what in the hell Logan was going to say.

* * *

An intruder kept the school in full view with a set on high tech binoculars, keeping hidden in the bushes so as not to draw attention. The lower half of his face was covered, though his long brown hair ran down to just above his shoulders. He was also careful not to tap into his mutant powers. No sense destroying a perfect good set of binoculars, and even less burning his face. There was also no sense in trespassing on the school grounds in broad daylight either. He'd wait until the moon has risen into the sky to make his move. The intruder lowered the binoculars upon hearing the faint hum of a motor approaching from the distance. He ducked out of sight but still gain a look at the white limousine passing by his hiding spot. Too bad for the intruder that the passenger already knew of his presence.

* * *

Author's note: That should clinch the official first chapter. Let me know what you guys think.


	2. New Arrivals

Disclaimer: Well, here's the next chapter of the story, and guess who gets introduced. Actually, you could probably expect quite a few introductions, but I'll never tell. As before, I don't own the rights to the X-Men.

* * *

Chapter II  
New Arrivals

Warren Worthington III soared high above the Xavier Institute, ever carefree and proud of his mutation. Mutation wasn't the right word. Gift was a much more appropriate term to describe his natural set of wings. They earned him the codename Angel, and never was there a young mutant more deserving of such name. But Warren wasn't thinking about his codename. He was thinking of and watching the white limo drive up to the front entrance of the school. At first, Warren believed it to be his father, come to attempt to convince Warren to return home for the umpteenth time. Why couldn't that man just accept that his mutant son was happy with the X-Men? Warren saved him from being killed by a group of renegade mutants. Perhaps his judgment gave way to his curiosity, because Warren flew down toward the front of the school. The limo pulled to a stop at the front door, while Warren landed gracefully on the steps. The chauffeur walked around the front of limo toward the back, getting a full view of Warren's wings but paying him no mind.

"How're you doing?" Warren greeted the chauffeur, who simply walked past him.

The chauffeur opened the back seat door. While Warren half expected to see his father, again, he was surprised to instead witness an incredibly beautiful woman step out. Seriously, this woman was by and away, gorgeous. She was dressed head to toe all in silvery white clothing. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded down to her shoulders. Even her lipstick was a silvery shade. Warren was understandably awestruck at the sight of this beauty. The woman in white took in the view of the school and mused to herself. Apparently, she didn't seem impressed. She didn't seem to notice Warren staring at her. But she knew he was.

"Driver," she said. "You may leave now."

The driver nodded and returned to the driver side, while Warren greeting the woman. "Um, welcome to the Xavier Institute. I'm Warren…"

"Warren Worthington III, also known as Angel," the woman blatantly cut Warren off. She seemed to speak with an English accent. "I know who you are. I'd like to speak to whoever currently runs the school."

Warren started, "Then you're looking for…"

Again, the woman in white cut Warren off. "Ororo Monroe, also known as Storm. Could you please inform her of my arrival?"

"Why do want to see Storm?" Warren.

"My reasons are none of your concern," she said. "Just tell Miss Monroe that I wish to speak with her."

The woman walked past Warren as if he didn't even exist. Warren cocked his eyebrow and shook his wings. Any ongoing positive interpretations Warren had thought were blown out of the sky by the woman. The woman seemed unusually snobbish, almost arrogant and maybe a little conceded. She also apparently knew what Warren was thinking, which meant she must've been a mutant like him. A telepath most likely. The woman stopped about halfway up the steps. Silence followed before she turned toward Warren.

"Since you're thinking it, my name is Emma; Emma Frost."

* * *

Logan stopped short of the Rogue's room and knocked on the door. "Rogue? Rogue, it's me. Storm asked me to talk to you," No answer came from the room. "I know you're in there, kid. I can smell ya. C'mon, open up," Still, no answer came from the room. "Have it your way, kid."

Logan turned and started to walk away, and it was only then that the door opened. Rogue stood in the doorway and it was then that Logan noticed the shortened hair and eye shadow. Logan couldn't say he was thrilled to see this new appearance of Rogue, but he wasn't her father so he couldn't judge. Rogue didn't even seem to smile upon seeing Logan and simply turned away. Logan let himself into the room, and that was the first time he noticed the almost loaded backpack on the bed.

"What's with the baggage," he asked. "You're not thinking about leaving, are ya?"

Rogue didn't even bother looking at Logan, instead continuing to stuff the backpack. "What do you care?"

"I care; I just tend not to show it." Logan uncharacteristically quipped.

"Unless it was around Jean!" Rogue pointed out.

Logan was actually taken aback by the comment. "Hey, that's not fair, kid…"

Rogue threw something onto the bed and turned sharply toward Logan. "No, me still being in this school; that's not fair. My life here's been miserable ever since…"

"Since you took the cure," Logan finished the statement. "Listen, you're the one who made that choice, Rogue. Not me!"

Rogue sighed and sat on the bed, defeated. "Yeah, and now I'm regretin' it. I never thought I'd actually miss my powers."

Logan leaned up against a wall and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So, you figure you might as well just pack up and leave."

"Why not," Rogue asked. "It never stopped you from leavin' the first time around."

"Rogue, that was a different story," Logan pointed out. He knew Rogue was talking about when he left for Alkali Lake. A lot of good that did him, at first anyway. "Look, I'm not gonna pretend to be your dad. If you're gonna leave, I won't stop you. Just make sure it's for the right reasons."

Rogue didn't say much else after that, so Logan left her alone. The conversation did give Rogue quite a lot to consider. Nothing had gone like she'd hoped in the aftermath of her taking cure. For one thing, Bobby broke with her in favor of Kitty. She'd also felt like a fifth wheel among the rest of the team. This despondency must've been what Cyclops felt over Jean's supposed death, before he was himself killed. So what reason did Rogue to leave at all? None of them were very good ones. Meanwhile, Logan was stomping down the hall when he stopped suddenly. He sniffed the air and knew someone new was in the school.

* * *

"I do appreciate you taking the time to speak with me, Mr. McCoy." said the mysterious Emma Frost, sipping a cup of tea.

Hank sat across from her. "The pleasure is all mine of course, Miss Frost. But, I'm sure you'll understand if I'm still somewhat skeptical. I find it hard to believe you want to teach here."

"Well, look at what the cat dragged in," exclaimed Ororo, leaning in the doorway with a not-so pleased expression. "I'm surprised you bothered to come back at all, Emma."

Emma smirked at Ororo, and she placed her tea cup on the table. "It's nice to see you too, Ororo. How long has it been? Five years? Ten years, perhaps?"

Ororo entered the room, not removing her gaze from Emma. "I really doesn't matter, because it obviously wasn't long enough! What're you doing here?"

"Is it not obvious," Emma asked. "I'm here to offer my assistance in teaching the newest students of the institute. And, perhaps help you find any just emerging mutants in the world at large."

"I knew it. You haven't changed at all, Emma," Ororo said. "Your being here has nothing to do with the students. You just want access to Cerebro."

It took some time but Hank was able to insert himself into the conversation. "My apologies for interrupting, but I think I'm entitled to an explanation. How do you two know one another?"

"Miss Frost here used to be a student at the institute," Ororo said, not taking her eyes off of Emma. "That was until she became arrogant and overconfident that she could surpass the professor, and started demanding that she be allowed to operate Cerebro."

"I see!" Hank managed to say.

"That would be your story, Ororo, and of course you'll be sticking to it," Emma said. "The fact remains that you need a telepath to operate Cerebro, and since Prof. Xavier and Jean Grey are dearly departed, I'm really your only option."

"Who's the girl?" sounded the familiar grunt of Logan.

Emma looked at Logan and again, smirked at him. "Hello, Wolverine. Are you still trying to piece together your past?"

Logan was absolutely taken aback by the woman in white. "You know me?!"

Emma stood up and came face to face with Logan. "I know more about you than you do yourself. Let's leave it at that. Now, I believe I'll be requiring my own quarters."

Ororo sighed to herself. "Alright, Emma! We'll let you stay; for now! But if you try anything underhanded, even look at the students the wrong way, I will personally blow you out of this house."

"I'm sure you'd like to, Storm," Emma said before meeting Bobby and Kitty at the doorway, the former of whom was enamored by the sight of the self styled _White Queen_. "Mr. Drake, could you be a dear and help me with my belongings?"

Bobby's jaw dropped. "I'd be more than happy to, Miss Frost."

"You can call me Emma."

Bobby felt like he was literally going to melt and he quickly gathered Emma's belonging. Kitty was glaring at Bobby and Bobby said, "What? She knew my name!"

"She's a telepath," Kitty spat at Bobby. "She knows what you're thinking."

* * *

Another day had come and gone at the Xavier Institute, and most if not all living there had gone to sleep for the evening. The intruder waited in the bushes for the better part of the day, perhaps longer still since Emma Frost had taken up residence. As he'd decided beforehand, the intruder laid low until the stars filled the sky. The moon was out in full but clouds were present as well. The intruder would no doubt that use to his advantage. In time, the clouds moved and blocked the moon from view, and the intruder made his move. He sprinted toward the outer wall and he pole vaulted up and over using a staff. The intruder moved silently across the quad, careful to avoid tripping any alarms until he reached a first floor window. He examined the window and found a latch on the inside. The intruder traced the glass with his finger, and using his mutant powers, drew a happy face. The window cracked and the intruder reached in and unhooked the latch on the other side.

The intruder slowly opened the window and quietly entered the institute. "They makin' this too easy!" His voice suggested he possessed a very strong Cajun accent.

The intruder moved through the school, slowly, stealthily and without drawing attention to himself. Obviously, everybody was sound asleep and unaware of the intruder's presence. Everybody, except for Logan, who was stirred out of yet another restless sleep. He was dreaming about Jean again, and the heart wrenching decision to _save _her by way of killing her. Logan sat up in his bed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Speaking of which, he took a sniff of the air and knew right away that someone was in the mansion that shouldn't be. Logan got out of bed and began stalking the intruder, claws extended. The intruder continued his stealthy movement through the halls of the mansion and came to a stop round a corner. He crouched down and listened very closely for any faint sounds. Logan was waiting on the other side, ready to strike at a moments' notice. He recognized the scent but couldn't pinpoint from where he'd last smelt it.

_You ain't welcome in my house, bub! _Logan thought, and then he made his move.

Logan rounded the corner and found nothing, but the scent was still there. That meant the intruder was still present. Logan heard a faint crackling and looked down at the floor. A small object was all that was there, but it seemed to glowing. Logan took a closer look at the object and it appeared to, of all things, a playing card; specifically, the Ace of Spades. The card suddenly exploded and threw Logan back into the opposite wall. The intruder dropped from the ceiling in front of Logan.

"Well, well, look who I found," the intruder said, speaking as if he knew Logan. In a way, he did. "I gotta be honest; I did not expect to see you again."

Logan raised his head a glared at the intruder. "Do I know you, bub?"

"C'mon, Logan! I'd think you'd recognize you old friend, Gambit," Logan lunged at Gambit and slashed at him. Gambit was able to avoid but the claws slash through the dark brown trench coat he wore. "Aw man, this is was my favorite coat."

Just then, Ororo showed up at the sight of the commotion. "Logan; what going on?"

"That's my cue to exit," Gambit quipped and he sprint back down the same hall he came. "Let's do this again some time, Logan."

Logan picked himself up and turned to Ororo. "Keep the kids safe. I'm going after him."

"You know that guy?" Ororo exclaimed.

Logan was already halfway down the hall when he shouted, "How the hell should I know?"

Gambit rounded the corner into the next hall rushing passed numerous students who'd been stirred awake by the commotion. At one point, Gambit even passed directly through an apparently sleepwalking Kitty. Logan was steadily gaining ground on Gambit, while at the same time trying to figure out knew Gambit knew him. Gambit ran passed Bobby's room, then Jubilee's and then Emma's. Emma in particular seemed somewhat indifferent as Logan sped passed her. Gambit was coming up to the pine railing and, reasoning that it would've taken too long to simply go down the stair, pole vaulted over the railing. He landed on the lower floor and briefly looked back, and then made for the front door. Gambit was surprised to see Rogue of all people standing in the doorway. Rogue was just as surprised.

"Hello there, cherie," Gambit greeted Rogue, even kissing her gloved hand. "Remy LeBeau, at you service."

From above, Logan came lunging from the balcony to the floor below. Gambit readied himself for the forthcoming assault. He dropped to his back and pointed his staff straight up. Logan landed gut first on the staff, and Gambit unleashed his mutant powers, charging the staff with kinetic energy. With momentum, Logan was actually jolted and thrown through the front door to the outside. Gambit sauntered outside and stood over Logan, whose body was smoking after the last attack.

"Well, Logan, as fun as this was, I really need to be on my way," he mocked. "Drop me a line next time you in New Orleans."

Gambit turned toward the mansion to bid farewell, and Rogue was standing right in front of him. He was ill prepared from what happened next. Rogue placed her hand on Gambit's cheek and Gambit suddenly felt weak. Logan was just coming to when he saw what he never expected to see. The other X-Men arrived in time to see Gambit collapse to the ground before them, and Rogue standing over him in utter astonishment. She checked her hand and it crackled with kinetic energy identical to that of Gambit. The X-Men were in shock, but none more so than Logan.

"Rogue?!"

* * *

Author's note: That's should finish Chapter II, with the introductions of Emma Frost and Gambit. They won't be the last. be sure to review and I get back to you soon. Adios!


	3. Legacy

Disclaimer: Here's the next chapter of the story, which introduces a new Brotherhood line up. I'll let you figure who's among them. Oh, and I don't own the rights to X-Men.

* * *

Chapter III  
Legacy

"His name is Remy LeBeau; a former street hustler from New Orleans," Emma had her hands placed the head of the unwelcome guest known as Remy LeBeau. "Known as Gambit by those who've met him, he was a member of a group called the Thieves Guild."

"What's he doing here?" Logan asked. Hank and Ororo were present as well.

Emma pulled away from Remy and sighed, "I don't know. Portions of his mind are blocked for some reason. Someone seems to have installed mental barriers, presumably to keep anyone from finding any sort of information."

"And you call yourself a telepath," Ororo spat. "Couldn't you maybe concentrate a little harder?"

Emma glared at Ororo and spat, "Perhaps I could, if I was intending to kill him. Would you like me to demonstrate on you, Storm?"

Ororo's eyes went white and thunder was heard outside the mansion. "I'd like to see you try, Frost."

Thankfully, Hank was able to step in before Ororo and Emma came to blows. "Ladies, please! There's really no reason to fight amongst yourselves."

"I don't know about that, Hank. It'd probably make for a good show," Logan jokingly implied. Ororo and Emma both shot glances at him, to which Logan asked, "What? I was just kidding."

Ororo finally allowed for cooler heads to prevail, and her eyes returned to their natural color. "Hank's right. In-fighting will do no good."

"We can place our guest in a holding cell for now until morning," Hank added. "Hopefully we'll get the reasoning behind this intrusion. In the meantime, we should all try to get some sleep."

Ororo was the first to start heading back to bed, but not before shooting a piercing glance at Emma. "We'll pick this up later, princess."

"Looking forward to it, witch." Emma spat back at Ororo.

* * *

Bobby found Rogue sitting alone in the recreational room. He could more than tell the girl was very deep in thought. About a lot of things. Bobby himself was very confused after what had transpired earlier in the night between Rogue and the newcomer named Remy LeBeau. All this time, Rogue had her powers, evident when she touched Remy's face. It was even more evident as Bobby watched Rogue's hands light up in a violet hue. Rogue picked up a pen and effortlessly charged it with the kinetic energy that belonged to Remy. Bobby hung his head in confusion.

"Rogue!"

Rogue was startled and she dropped the pen, letting it fall to the floor and explode. The only residual trace was a small burn mark on the floor. Nothing serious but all the same, a certain blue haired teacher was going to be upset. Rogue and Bobby exchanged awkward glances at each other. Neither was willing at the time to speak up, until Rogue took the initiative.

"Bobby, I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said. "I wanted to but I was scared that I might hurt you or someone else."

"I don't…" Bobby was genuinely lost in confusion. "I don't understand, Rogue. How long ago did your powers come back?"

"About a few days ago," Rogue said. "Jubilee was the only one who found out; after I touched her."

"That explains why she was ill at the time," Bobby pointed out. "You could've told somebody; Storm or Mr. McCoy. Or even Logan."

"I know that, but," Rogue didn't know else to say. "I just don't know anymore. Look, I was hoping that maybe we could get back together. I know I sound selfish, but I just want you back in my life, Bobby."

Bobby was pretty much at a loss for words by that point. Yeah, he and Rogue were very close in the past. Yet, Rogue was never able to lay a finger on Bobby without hurting him. That was the main reason she'd taken the cure in the first place. Rogue said it best herself: it was what she wanted. No way she could've known that it would drive away the only boy she'd ever liked. Maybe even loved. She wanted Bobby back in her life, powers or not. Bobby on the other hand had made up his mind a long time ago.

"Look, Rogue, I'm glad you have you powers back," Bobby was choking on his own words. "But, it's too late for us. I'm with Kitty now. I'm sorry."

Rogue definitely felt like a fool. Bobby could say no more to Rogue and he left. He'd ended up passing by Logan, who had intended to talk to Rogue. After what happened earlier in the night, with the intruding Cajun, Logan was hoping to get some answers. But then he saw the dejection on Rogue's and it left Logan very concerned. As before, he had absolutely no idea what to tell Rogue. Rogue took notice of Logan's presence, tears in her eyes.

Logan sighed, "So what's it gonna be, kid? You still feel like running, or are you gonna stick around?"

A very conflicted Rogue wiped the tears from her face and said, "I'm staying. I'd probably wind up doing more damaged out there anyway."

Logan nodded and started out the door, but he turned back to Rogue and said, "I'm here if you need me."

* * *

Rogue wasn't the only one to recover her mutant powers. Hundreds of reports across the country surfaced of other _cure takers_ recovering their individual powers. There were also reports of mutants undergoing further, more disfiguring mutations. Many of these disfigured souls went into hiding beneath the streets of cities far and wide. Needless to say, this caused a significant backlash for Warren Worthington II, Angel's father. He was forced into holding a press conference outside of Worthington Pharmaceutical to try to quell the growing issue.

"Now, I am very much aware of the increasing concern of cure failings across the country. I give you all my solemn word that my top scientists are working diligently to fix the problem."

Naturally, reporters from every news station were rowdy for answer. One asked, "Have there been any confirmed reports of the one the mutants called Magneto?"

"As far as we know, Erik Lehnsherr, AKA Magneto, poses no further threat to our efforts, as according to authorities, he'd been injected with a higher dosage of the cure during the event on Alcatraz Island." Warren Sr. said.

Another reporter asked, "What about the so-called Brotherhood?"

"According to authorities, the Brotherhood has been disbanded, and any known members have since been cured and/or taken into custody."

A third reporter stepped up and asked, "What are the current plans the cure now? How are you going to see about rectifying this problem?"

"As I said, my top scientists are working diligently to modify the cure for a more permanent effect," Warren continued, "However, for safety reasons I cannot disclose any further information about the new cure, including its release date or expected potency."

More ruckus followed until a forth reporter asked, "What are you calling the new cure?"

Warren Sr. stopped for a few moments his thought trailing to his son. "As of right now, the new cure has been codenamed _Legacy_."

"Mr. Worthington, one more question," yet another reporter called out. "What is your response to the rumors that you've enlisted a mutant to defend against possible reprisals from other mutants?"

"No comment," Warren Sr. said. "That's all for today. No further questions."

Warren Sr. made his move from the podium and back toward the pharmaceutical building, even as the sea of reporters tried to get more answers. They were generally unaware of the very attractive young mutant that was among them. Wearing a dark brown cloak, she kept her face hidden behind a hood as she moved from the crowd and out into the open. The woman moved quickly into an alleyway, where her presence caused several metal garbage cans to shutter ever so slightly. She glance back to make certain that no one was following her, and then she opened a metal door. Without touching it!

* * *

"I've got the old man in my sights, Pyro. Can I take him out?"

Pyro was alive and well after the Alcatraz incident, as he sauntered up to the female mutant sniper. "Hold your fire, Domino. We don't need the X-Men breathing down our necks just yet."

The woman called Domino pulled back from the sniper scope and said, "Pretty please! My trigger finger's getting itchy, and it's making me hot."

Of course, Pyro and Domino weren't the only mutants situated on the roof. Two other mutants were among them at the time. The first was a tall, burly man wearing silver and white body armor. His ability to generate earthquake earned him the name Avalanche. The second mutant appeared to be a young woman, but her skin was violet and clashed somewhat with her green clothes. Her mutant abilities to make herself and others disappear and reappear led to her being called Blink. She wasn't much for idle chitchat.

Avalanche on the other, cocking an eyebrow, felt compelled to respond to Domino's comments. "You got problems, Dom."

"I can always point this rifle at you, Avalanche." Domino retorted, without even looking at Avalanche. Blink simply listened with subtle amusement.

Avalanche ignored his trigger happy partner and turned to Pyro. "What's so special about this guy, anyway?"

"Don't you know anything," Pyro wondered. "That old man's the reason the cure exists in the first place. Now that cure's starting to fail, he's obviously going to fix that. Did I mention that his son's a mutant?"

Domino got up from her sniper and wrapped the rifle around to her back. "You kind of failed to mention that little tidbit. Anyway, if the cure's failing, wouldn't that mean your old boss is back in the fold?"

Magneto! The very mention of him caused Pyro to seethe, and he activated his palm lighter. He held his hand right in Domino's face, the fire reflecting on her eyes. "Don't ever mention his name in front of me. That old man dropped the ball, and I won't make the same mistake."

Out of nowhere, another mutant possessing lighting fast speed confronted Pyro. "Easy, Pyro. We don't need to be fighting amongst ourselves."

"Get out of my face, Quicksilver, or I'm going to make sure you get burned," Pyro snapped. "Or, I could have Blink teleport you to Antarctica. Either way, don't give me a reason to get rid of you."

"Then don't give me a reason to challenge you." Quicksilver snapped back.

"Pietro, don't!" called the just arriving young woman.

Pietro Maximoff, or Quicksilver as his comrades called him, sped right up to the girl. "Lorna, are you alright?"

The girl named Lorna Dane, otherwise known to the Brotherhood as Polaris, removed the hood, exposing her shimmering green hair and eyes. "I'm fine, Pietro. Nobody noticed me."

"What did you find out, Polaris," Pyro demanded. "Talk to me! What'd that old man have to say?"

Lorna sighed out of some form of resentment of Pyro. "Mr. Worthington talked about the rash of cure failures, about how mutants that took the cure are regaining their powers."

Pyro rolled his eyes. "We gathered that much. What else did he say?"

"He intends to upgrade the cure somehow," Lorna continued on. "He's calling it Legacy, but that's about all. He didn't say when it'll be made available."

"Then we have to make this Legacy cure doesn't become available." Pyro said.

"How do we go about doing that," Avalanche asked. "Hit a factory? For all we know, he's got thousands of 'em in the country."

"But only one in New York," Domino pointed out. "We just have to find it."

"It doesn't matter where this Legacy cure being made," Pyro said. "We'll destroy it before it destroys, along with anyone who gets in our way."

"What about the X-Men?" Domino asked.

Pyro started up his flame device again. "They try to screw with us, and I'll personally torch them one by one."

Lorna pulled away from the rest of the group, and the movement wasn't lost on Pietro. He was her brother after all. Lorna moved to the other end of the rooftop, gazing out into the city. The wind was blowing and her green hair waved along with it. Pietro approached Lorna, without using his powers. The last thing he needed was to startle Lorna to the point of falling off the roof.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm okay, it's just," Lorna looked back at the group, Pyro in particular. "Do you really think we can trust Pyro? He seems so, unbalanced."

"I get that vibe too, but Pyro was with Magneto on Alcatraz," Pietro pointed. "I think he knows what he's trying to accomplish, even if he is a little unstable."

"But the only reason we joined the Brotherhood was to find Magneto," Lorna said. "He's our father, yet Pyro wants nothing to do with him."

"We'll find him, Lorna," Pietro said. "After we stop the Legacy cure from being developed, we'll leave the Brotherhood and search for our father. I promise."

Lorna nodded. "Just as long as no one gets hurt; I won't use my powers to hurt anyone."

"I wouldn't ask you to." Pietro said.

Lorna nodded and said, "Thank you, brother."

* * *

Like the Brotherhood, another individual had been watching the broadcast of the press conference. Nathaniel Essex sat alone in his high tech laboratory, his eyes staring menacingly at the large screen. He was hanging on every word that came from Worthington's mouth, listening to his talk of an upgraded cure. It amused Essex, the thought of some vain attempt to cure mutant. Essex had his own opinion of mutants. He found them to be rather fascinating creatures, so much so that he'd begun experimenting on them. Experimentations that had begun decades ago, before even Charles Xavier himself was born. Essex himself was not normal. In fact, he was much older than he appeared, yet he appeared to be in his physical prime. This came from the fact that Essex had experimented on himself, with interesting results. All of a sudden, along came Warren Worthington II with a plan to quote-unquote, cure mutants.

Essex stood up and approached the screen. "Ah, Mr. Worthington; you motives of curing what you acknowledge as a disease are very admirable. But mutation is not a disease and you cannot play God," Essex moved from the screen to a wall line with chambers, like test tubes. "Nor can I. But it doesn't matter. Soon, the world will bare witness to the return of a true god. Then, we'll see if you so called Legacy cure will matter."

* * *

Author's note: There you have it, another chapter done with a new incarnation of the Brotherhood. Somehow, I just know there's gonna be questions as to why a certain mutant isn't present among the group. Go ahead: review, ask questions and dream about girls with green hair. At least I will!


	4. Dirty Deeds

Disclaimer: So much for the seven day waiting period. Oh well, guess you can't win them all! Anyway, here's the next chapter for the story, and be prepared for a surprise.

* * *

Chapter IV  
Dirty Deeds

It was already closing time for a Boston museum, and security guard Wes Cameron was going through his nightly patrol. Many exhibits were lines across the walls, all dating as far back as when the first humans walked the Earth. Wes didn't really care much for the exhibits, save for the notion that if they were to be broken, the repairs would generally come out of his paycheck. That was really something Wes couldn't afford to happen. Again, it made no difference to Wes whatsoever, considering there was that one person roaming around the Egyptian exhibit. No one should've been there at closing time, Wes thought, and he had to confront this person.

"I'm sorry sir, but we're closing," Wes told the man. "I'm going to have to ask that you leave please."

The man turned to face Wes, appearing no older than him and with a slight smirk. "Aw, I can't stick around a little longer? I was just admiring the merchandise."

Wes didn't have a good feeling from this man and reached for his sidearm. "Again, I have to ask you to leave the building."

"Who gonna make me?" another voice said from behind Wes.

Wes turned to face an exact copy of the man he'd encounter. There was two of this guy? Make that three! A third copy appeared at Wes's left side, and another at his right. Wes didn't have a chance to defend himself as the quartet of clones beat him down. The copies rejoined the original, obviously the workings of James Madrox AKA Multiple Man, one of Magneto's former followers. He shrugged at the sight of the guard down and out on the floor.

"It's nothing personal, pal, just business." he said.

Multiple Man reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a glass cutting tool, and then placed out the glass of the exhibit he'd been observing. Inside the glass was a single amulet. It would likely have fetched Multiple a hefty sum, but that wasn't why he was stealing it. The second he started cutting the glass, an alarm sounded. The guards would be on him soon enough, so Multiple Man made copies of himself to thrown them off while he worked. As expected, the guards didn't know where or how to catch the copies and if they did, the copies simply disappeared. It bought Multiple Man more than enough time to finish the job and grab the amulet. His job done, Multiple Man made for the back exit while his copies kept the guards distracted. Once outside, Multiple Man summoned his copies back to him and left the guards confused. Multiple Man smirked at his latest triumph as he examined the amulet he'd stolen.

"This was too easy," Multiple Man said to himself. "That Essex guy owes me big time for this."

Hopping onto a motorcycle he'd recently stolen, Multiple Man sped off into the night. He was obviously at this point of his criminal career working for Nathaniel Essex. Essex apparently required the amulet for some reason or another, that much Multiple Man knew. He didn't see much reason to question why, so long as the pay was good in the long run. Then again, Multiple Man had an annoying tendency to become a little curious.

* * *

_"As of now, the only reported theft was that of an artifact dating back roughly three thousand years. As for security guard Wes Cameron, he's expected to make a full recovery."_

"I know that museum," said Bobby as he watched the television along with Kitty, Hank and Ororo. Warren and Jubilee were in the background, as was Emma. "My parents used to bring me and my brother there when we were kids."

"Wow, I had no idea you were into museums." Kitty said, albeit with slight sarcasm.

Bobby looked at Kitty and said, "Actually, I'm not, but I did see that artifact before."

"Judging by the artifacts intricate design," Hank added. "It appears to be of Egyptian origin, but there's no telling exactly how far it dates back."

"But who would want to steal an Egyptian artifact?" Ororo asked.

"James Madrox, also known as Multiple Man!" Emma answered.

Jubilee and Warren overheard Emma, and Jubilee asked, "How do you know that?"

Emma simply looked at Jubilee, smirked and said, "Well, I _am_ psychic! I've been following his movements for some time."

Ororo glared at Emma and asked, "You didn't say anything earlier because…?"

"No one asked." Emma said.

"Well, what would Multiple Man want with a three thousand year old relic?" Warren asked.

"It could be any number of reasons," Hank added. "Remember that he did, at one time, rob seven banks in seven different cities."

"Unfortunately, I can't penetrate any further into his mind," Emma said. "There seems to be a series of mental barriers, similar to the ones found within our Cajun visitor."

As the group continued their discussion, none of them were aware that Rogue was eavesdropping outside the room. No one except for Emma, although she kept tight lipped about it. Rogue did happen to overhear mention of the Cajun thief that arrived recently. To her knowledge, Gambit was still being kept in confinement in the lower levels of the school. Logan was down there too, in the Danger Room. Something inside of Rogue compelled her to go there. It could've been any number of reasons.

* * *

Rogue did indeed make her way into the lower levels. She passed by the Danger Room but stopped short upon hearing a commotion. It was likely Logan going through one of his rather aggressive training sessions. Obviously, Rogue would've had a death wish if she entered, but it wasn't like she couldn't simply absorb Logan's healing factor. Yes, she was still stinging after the return of her own abilities and her decision to remain at the school. She just wondered if it was the right decision for her personally. Rogue sighed and kept walking, and she must've absentmindedly wandered into the confinement area. She could hear a very faint crackling sound, and knew it couldn't be Jubilee. A little further in and Rogue noticed a faint light inside one of the cell. There was Gambit, lounging out while flicking playing cards to the floor. Of course, said cards never touched the floor before detonating in a flash of kinetic energy. Rogue moved in a bit closer and Gambit noticed her.

"Well, hello there, Chere," he greeted. "That was a mighty nice trick you pulled off. Took my breath away!"

"Any longer and I would've taken more than your breath." Rogue pointed out.

"Touché, petite," Gambit got up from his seated position and approach the glass that separated himself from the Rogue. Taking an arrogant bow, he said, "Since I already introduced myself, you can just call me Remy, or whatever you want for that matter."

"I could call you a lot of things," Rogue said. "Why'd ya come here?"

"Now, that's an interesting question," Remy said while cocking an eyebrow. "I guess there'd be plenty of reasons. Of course, I didn't expect to find Logan here either. He and I go way back, but I suppose he don't remember. What about you, Chere? What's a pretty Southern belle like yourself doin' in a place like this?"

"I don't see how that's any of yer business, swamp rat!" Rogue spat.

"That's harsh, Chere," Remy said. "You're hurtin' my feelin's. C'mon, there must be a reason."

Rogue pulled away from the glass that separated her from Remy. Where the blazes did this Cajun get off, trying to sweet talk the poor girl? On the other hand, Remy seemed quite the charmer. Rogue couldn't help but be a little curious about him. Maybe more so than she should've been.

"I just don't have anywhere else to go." Rogue finally said.

Remy nodded to Rogue's words. "I suppose I could understand that. Tell ya what; you get me outta this here cage and I'll take you back to New Orleans with me. Gotta be betta than sittin' here, waiting for somethin' to happen."

Again, Rogue thought about multiple things at once, until she heard a grunting noise. She turned toward the entrance way, as did Remy. There was Logan. His clothes appeared shredded at various areas, particularly around the chest area. An awkward silence filled the cell block. Rogue glanced back at Remy, then to Logan and back at Remy. Finally she decided to leave of course that didn't stop Logan from cocking an eyebrow.

"You okay, kid?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just leavin'," Rogue said, and then she quickly added, "I meant, I was goin' to back upstairs."

Logan let Rogue pass by him and then glared at Remy. Remy said, "I guess you done good for yourself, Logan."

"Yeah, well, do yourself a favor and stay away from Rogue, you got that, bub?" Logan said.

"C'mon, I was just having a friendly chat with the girl," Remy claimed. "There ain't nothin' wrong with that, I don't think."

"Whatever, just don't say a damned thing to her, got it?" Logan asked before taking his leave.

Before Logan did leave, Remy shouted, "Ya ain't still scared of flying, are ya?"

Logan stopped just short of the entrance way and snarled at the comment. He'd remember if he were aviophobic, which of course he didn't remember. Ignoring the captive Cajun, Logan kept going and the automatic doors shut behind him. Logan wondered if Rogue was still present but she was long gone. He still had her scent but thought better of trying to confront her about Remy. Better to just leave her be for the time being.

* * *

Warren Sr. stared out the window of his office, looking out into the blue sky. He wondered if his son was flying among the clouds. Warren Sr. wouldn't know either way. Warren Jr. hadn't spoken to him since the events at Alcatraz, outside of the fact that he'd joined the X-Men. Warren Sr. still felt compelled to _save _his son from his mutation. His thoughts then shifted to the mutant population. Half of the populous would likely want to take the Legacy cure for the sake of being normal, while the other half would likely take about the same measures as the Brotherhood. Then Warren Sr. had to contend with the rumors of a mutant serving as his bodyguard. Painfully ironic for a man who claimed to want to help mutants. Those rumors were very much true, and that was something Warren Sr. couldn't allow to be made public. As he thought, Warren Sr. heard a faint knock on his office. His secretary entered the office.

"Excuse me, Mr. Worthington," she said in a slightly sheepish tone. "Carol Danvers is here to see you."

"Alright, send her in please." Warren Sr. said.

The secretary nodded, opened the door ever so slightly and another woman wearing a brown trench coat entered the office. That wasn't before she shot a glance at the secretary, scaring her off. The woman was exceptionally tall and beautiful with long blonde hair going passed her shoulders. But that was it. The expression on her face spoke volumes of some unspoken resentment, though it was a question of to whom that resentment was directed. The seemingly cold expression was more that enough for Warren Sr. to identify the woman as Carol Danvers.

"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Carol." Warren Sr. greeted.

Carol Danvers seemed less enthused by the sheepishness of the greeted. "Save the Meet n' Greet routine, Worthington. I'm only here under orders of my superiors," Carol took a seat in front of Warren's desk. "So, it's come to my attention that you're producing a new cure. Legacy, was it?"

Warren Sr. sat at his desk. "That's right! I'm sure you'll understand that I'm still somewhat obligated to help the mutant community any way I can."

"Obligated?! That's a good one," Carol said. "You've obviously forgotten what happened on Alcatraz Island."

"Not quite forgot so much remembered, which is why I sent for you," Warren Sr. said. "The new cure will be going into production at my main pharmaceutical factory on Roosevelt Island. Needless to say, it's raised some _concern_ from the mutant community."

"You're worried about a possible repeat of Alcatraz. I'm sure you're aware that Magneto was injected with a heavy dose of the older cure," Carol pointed out. "My superiors doubt that he's at all a credible threat anymore."

"There are still those loyal to Magneto, and that has me concerned," Warren Sr. continued. "The location of the factory hasn't been made public but Magneto's old group is bound to find out somehow. I need you to be ready if and when that happens."

Carlo simply balked at the request from Warren Sr. "I'm not some mutant guard dog you can order around on a whim."

"Please, Carol," Warren Sr. requested. "I cannot risk another incident like from Alcatraz."

Carol sighed heavily and rose from her seat. She leaned over the desk, fists on the tabletop and glared at Warren Sr. "I'll do it, but only because I'll be orders from my superiors."

Carol began to make her way out of the office when Warren Sr. called out, "One more thing, Carol, before you leave."

"What?"

"If you happen to encounter my son, please don't hurt him," Warren Sr. requested. It sounded sincere. "He may be a mutant but he isn't part of this."

An indifferent Carol simply said, "No promises!"

Carol stormed out of the office, leaving Warren Sr. alone with his thoughts. As ever, his thoughts fell to his son. Warren Sr. still felt compelled to help Warren Jr. anyway he could. The whole reason he made the original cure was for the wellbeing of his child. He was basically doing what any parent would do for their child. At the same time, Warren Sr. began to question if his actions were the right ones. Then there was Carol Danvers. Warren Sr. admittedly knew little about her, outside of the fact that she was a mutant working for a top secret government agency. Whatever sort of abilities she possessed, coupled with that temper, would've made for a very disturbing combination. Warren Sr. wondered if she could be entirely trusted, if at all.

* * *

Author's note: Surprised? Well, you probably already saw it coming and that's cool! Anyway, let me know what you think so far. For those of itching and scratching to see Apocalypse, please try to be patient!


	5. Father's Son

Disclaimer: Am I the only one who speculates that the world's coming to an end? If so, then I'm completely insane! Anyway, here's the next the chapter and I still don't own the rights to X-Men.

* * *

Chapter V  
Father's Son

With all the happenings going on in the world at large, no one would dare suspect the goings on behind the scenes. No one person would've suspected any particular reason as to why James Madrox rode into an abandoned warehouse just outside the city. It obviously made for a decent hiding spot, the criminal believed. James stepped through the front entrance and into a near pitch black interior. The place was virtually devoid of life, though it was nothing Jamie felt compelled to concern himself with. Instead, he entered an elevator that, for all intents and purposes, was never there in the warehouses' heyday. The elevator lowered down the shaft, making the occasional screeching upon coming in contact with the wall. It hardly bothered James, if at all, at least not until the elevator reached the bottom floor.

For no reason whatsoever, James found himself quipping, "Bottom floor: sporting goods, lingerie…" then he stopped upon the haunting beautiful woman standing in front of him. "And one smokin' hot babe!"

"Don't test me, Multiple Man," the woman sneered. "Not unless you want to believe that you're being hurtled into the sun."

James put his hands up in defense and said, "Take it easy, Vertigo. The last thing I need is to have my brain melted. Of course, I'm pretty sure you and I can some other _activities._"

The woman called Vertigo rolled her eyes at Multiple Man's inherent lechery and said, "Essex is waiting for you."

James shrugged and moved passed Vertigo, giving her no further thought. That was a bit of a mistake. Vertigo simply and subtly winked her eyes and, as her name suggested, produced a dizzying wave that sent the surrounding area spinning in circles. It also left James in a rather disoriented state, and then the wave stopped as quickly as it started. James shook his head and glared at Vertigo, her expression indifferent and never changing. James simply kept walking, eventually reaching a rather large laboratory. It obviously appeared much cleaner than most hospitals in New York. But the walls were lined with what appeared to be test tubes, and in these tubes appeared to be fetus-like things. Most of them vaguely resembled humans, but they were clearly not living. It occurred to James that Essex had a very sick mind; a very sinister mind. Speaking of which, Nathaniel Essex was seated at a table overlooking a microscope.

"You got some screwed interior decor, Doc." James commented.

Without even glancing at James, Nathaniel coldly asked, "Did you bring me what I asked for?"

"Yeah, I got it," James said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out the amulet he'd previously stolen. "Of course, snagging this thing wasn't nearly as fun as smacking around a few heads," James set the amulet down on the table, and only then did Nathaniel take notice. "So, what's the deal with this thing?"

Nathaniel took the amulet in his hand and said, "In my lifetime, I've learned never to ask questions to which I wouldn't understand the answers."

James simply shrugged and said, "Try me!"

"Well, this amulet dates back roughly 3000 years and is of an unknown origin," Nathaniel said. "Although, most historians would classify it as Egyptian."

"No offense, but it looks like a piece of junk to me." James stated.

"Perhaps it would to an untrained eye such as yours," Nathaniel said. "But this _piece of junk _as you put it, is actually a key for one of three doors. I've already opened the first door, and this will open the second."

"Let me guess; you want me to hit another museum." James queried.

Nathaniel smiled and muttered, "Not necessarily! I'll have you search for the final piece of the puzzle, but first I must go to Egypt. I'll return with more instructions."

As Nathaniel prepared to leave, James asked, "What exactly is behind these doors of yours? Is it like, I don't know, a treasure or something?"

Nathaniel smirked at the rather amusing question and stated, "Only the greatest treasure on this planet. You'll be handsomely rewarded for your services when it's all over."

Nathaniel headed out of his laboratory, throwing on a dark blue coat on his way. James was left cocking an eyebrow. Nathaniel Essex was a very strange man, to say the least. He was keeping pretty tightlipped about what he was up to, and James thought better to question him. But if there was wealth involved, then James was all for it in the end. He could give a damn less as to why Nathaniel needed the artifact or why he was going to Egypt.

* * *

Warren wasn't pleased with his father, for many reasons. The number one, piercingly obvious reason was the Legacy cure. Warren didn't believe for one second that his father was acting on his behalf. Jubilee sensed that Warren was visibly unhappy about the new cure being developed as they walked through Central Park. Being that the air was rather chilly, Warren was wearing a coat to make certain that no one saw his wings, while Jubilee wore her favorite yellow jacket and pick shades. They stopped by a television store and the various TV sets were replaying the Legacy press conference. It irked Warren to no end.

"You okay, Warren?" Jubilee asked.

Warren shook his head and answered, "Not since my dad revealed his plans for his new cure. I can't believe that after I saved him, he's still trying to shove his cure down our throats."

"Well, I don't want to defend him, but it seems like he's just acting for your wellbeing." Jubilee said.

"Yeah right," Warren said, unconvinced. "I know my father, Jubilee. His doing this because he can't handle the public scrutiny of me being a mutant. He says he's trying help mutants, but I don't for a second believe him."

Jubilee sighed, "Warren, I…"

Before Jubilee could say anything, she and Warren overheard a sudden noise. When they turned toward the source, they watched as woman was being mugged. The mugger quickly ran off with the woman's purse and passed by Warren and Jubilee. Without a second thought, Warren removed his coat in plain of whoever was present. His wings spread out wide, each individual feather fluttering in the wind. Jubilee was too late to stop the impulsive Warren as he took to the sky. The mugger ran across the park with the stolen purse in hand, and he glanced back to see if anyone was chasing him. He was unaware of Warren flying overhead and closing in on him. He thought he was home free, but then he was swiftly lifted off the ground and into the air. Angel had the thug by the fabric of his jacket, high above the ground. Needless to say, the mugger was terrified.

"Stop, please just stop," he shouted. "I'm sorry. I'll bring this back to her, I swear. Please, just don't drop me."

"Give me a reason not to drop you in the river." Warren said. He wasn't really going to drop this guy into the water, as much as he deserved it.

"I'll go straight, I swear to God, I'll go straight," the mugger begged and pleaded. "I'll do volunteer work. I'll go to church, whatever. Just don't drop me."

"Fair enough!" Warren quipped.

Warren flew toward a statue of a knight on his horse. He hung the mugger by his jacket on the stone lance and then took the purse from him. The police could most certainly take things from there. Warren flew back to where the traumatized woman stood and came to rest gently in front of her. The woman was visibly apprehensive when Warren appeared, but that apprehension melted away as Warren handed her the purse. Jubilee caught up to Warren as the woman took the purse.

"Thank you!"

Warren nodded, and said, "It was my pleasure, ma'am."

The woman couldn't stop staring at Warren or Jubilee. "You two aren't like other mutants, are you?"

Jubilee looked at Warren, and then to the woman. "No, we're not."

"Hey, what the hell are you doing to that lady?" a second bystander called out, followed by a few other, less tolerant ones.

"Your kind aren't welcome in this park." another bystander called out.

Another person yelled, "Go back where you came from."

"You don't understand," Jubilee called out. "We were just trying to help her."

Another person directed the next words to Warren. "Hey pal, those things real, or what?"

"Just back off," Warren warned the increasingly hostile group. "All we were doing was helping this woman, and that's it."

"Yeah, helping her to yourself," One person said before tossing a rock at Warren. "Go back to that nest you fell out of, you freak."

Another rock hit Warren in the chest, and while it didn't hurt, it certainly stung mentally. It also angered Jubilee and she took a stand against the group. Her hands began generating a series of multi-colored sparks, like fireworks. While the display might have been beautiful, the group of mutant haters backed away. Jubilee stared coldly at the group and the sparks became more intense. It was only the intervention of Warren that Jubilee ceased the power display. Jubilee looked at Warren and he simply shook his head, more or less urging her to let it go. With no further action taken from either side, Warren picked Jubilee up in his arms and took to the sky. The group's hostility turned to awe as they watched the pair fly of into the distance. But as fate would have it, the mutant haters weren't the only ones watching Warren fly away with Jubilee in his arms. Hidden from view, Nathaniel Essex watched with great interest. The sight of a mutant who could fly without any known limitations intrigued Essex. It intrigued him immensely and he smiled another sinister grin. But at a different part of the park, Carol Danvers was watching as well. Only, she looked on with relatively little interest and much indifference.

* * *

"Please, tell me you had a good reason for what you did today." Ororo told Warren, who was seated across from her.

"I was just doing what I thought was right," Warren said in defense. "You can't tell me it was wrong. I couldn't just stand there."

Ororo sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Warren, I don't blame you for what you did. I would've done the same thing in your place. Only, I would've restrained myself from using my powers in public."

"I think Logan would say differently," Warren stated. "With all due respect!"

"Well, with all due respect, I'm not Logan," Ororo pointed out. "I'm certainly not Prof. Xavier. Look Warren, just try to keep a low profile for the time being."

Warren shook his head at the notion. "Me, keep a low profile? That'd be like Bobby trying to freeze an active volcano. Or having Kitty phase all the way to core of the Earth."

"Warren, I'm serious!"

Bobby suddenly appeared from outside the room. "Hey Warren, your dad's here to see you. He says it's important and it can't wait."

"Did you tell I'm not on speaking terms with him?" Warren asked Bobby.

"Man, I tried, but he's not taking _no_ for an answer." Bobby stated.

Warren sighed in frustration, nodded to Ororo and passed by Bobby. He honestly had no real interest in seeing his father in any capacity. Warren Worthington II was at times, a very stubborn man. It must've come with being a father. Warren himself was at times a stubborn lad, so it was a family trait albeit an annoying one. Warren made his way to the balcony and found his father waiting in the main lobby just by the front door. Some passing students glared at the old man, as if he were the proverbial pimple on prom night.

"I'm up here, Dad." Warren called out.

Warren Sr. turned to his son and said, "Son, we need to talk."

Warren hopped onto the pine railing and jumped off, his wings slowing his decent to the floor. "I know why you're here, Dad, and I'm not interested in listening."

"Look, you have to be aware of the plans for the new cure," Warren Sr. said, obviously persistent. "It isn't too late for you to take it."

"Nothing ever changes with you," Warren snapped. "You still want me to take your cure, even after I saved your life."

"I'm grateful for what you did, I really am," Warren Sr. said. "But my motivations are still the same as always. I want to help you, Warren, just like any other father. You were so frightened by what you were becoming when you were young. I knew I had to do something."

"You're right, I was frightened. Keyword: _was_! But I grew up since then," Warren said, and his wings began slowly spreading out. "These wings are part of me, and I'm not changing that for anything."

As Warren was ready to leave, Warren Sr. grabbed his arm. "Warren, listen to yourself! You're sick, son. You need my help. These wings are a disease."

Warren quickly pulled his arm away, in the process spreading his wings full. "This is not a disease. I'm not sick, Dad," he shouted, before calming himself. "You have to leave now. I don't want to see you again, Dad."

"But Warren!" Warren Sr. begged.

"I've accepted what I am a long time ago," Warren stated. "I'm a mutant. More important than that; I'm an X-Man."

The expression on the elder Worthington's face told the whole story, and it lacked a happy ending in his mind. Warren was finished and he walked away from his father, who also began making his own way out. A defeated and dejected Warren Sr. was halfway out the front door when he was confronted by Emma Frost. Emma was already reading his thoughts, and Warren Sr. was generally unaware of her mental presence. At least, not until Emma mentally communicated with him.

_"It seems your pleas to your son have fallen on deaf ears."_

Warren Sr. was stunned, to say the least. _"I can hear you in my mind."_

_ "And I you," _Emma communicated. Then she simply made use of verbal communication. "What makes you think that Warren will believe anything you tell him?"

"You have to understand," Warren Sr. pleaded to Emma. "Everything that's happened; it was all for the wellbeing of my son."

Emma chuckled and slowly approached Warren Sr. "You know, Mr. Worthington; I don't always need to use my gifts. Sometimes I can tell, through woman's intuition alone, when someone is lying," Emma inched closer to the man's face and whispered, "And you _are_ lying."

Emma walked passed Warren Sr. and into the school, leaving Warren Sr. alone with his thoughts. Provided they were still his own thoughts. Emma was right! Warren Sr. was not acting for his son's wellbeing. He merely wanted his son to be a normal human being to avoid any resultant bad publicity. It was already too late to avoid anything. Warren knew that. So did Emma Frost. So did Warren Sr.

* * *

The heavy winds of Egypt conjured several dust storms into existence. Nathaniel Essex was hardly bothered, for he wasn't even in the midst of the storms. He'd returned to the tomb he'd first discovered. It was pitch black as it was before, yet the darkness hardly registered on Nathaniel's face. He arrived at the door that housed that which the world had forgotten ages ago. Interestingly enough, the body of Nathaniel's former colleague remained, now a disheveled heap covered in cobwebs. Nathaniel cared little, if at all. He simply approached what was to be the second door, examining it for any specific detail that would assist in its opening. He found a depression at the center, wide enough for a specific item to fit. Nathaniel had that item in the form of the amulet that Multiple Man had stolen for him. Without a second thought, Nathaniel inserted the amulet into the depression. He then turned it ever so slightly until it locked into place, and then Nathaniel stepped back. A slight tremor followed and it steadily increased, causing random pieces of the tomb to collapse. Then a brilliant light shined from the door, so bright that Nathaniel had to shield his eyes. When the light finally faded and Nathaniel regained his sight, he saw that the second door was gone and in its place, yet another door; the last door.

"The second door has been opened," Nathaniel said. "I now await your instructions on the final door," Nathaniel felt the same mysterious force, could hear the same voice in his mind. Only it was more pronounce and commanding this time. It made Nathaniel tremble and he said, "As you wish! The final door will be opened, and you will once again walk the Earth, my lord Apocalypse."

* * *

Author's note: That ends another chapter, and we're just inching a bit closer to the coming of Apocalypse. Can't rush things so be cool. Oh and please, let me know what you think so far.


	6. A Change of Scenery

Disclaimer: Where'd all the reviews go? Did my last two chapters not impress? I'm sorry, please don't hate me. Well, here's the next chapter and I still don't own the rights to X-Men.

* * *

Chapter VI  
A Change of Scenery

Remy was called many things in the past, but resourceful had to best describe the Cajun thief. He spent much of his captivity just hanging around, waiting for the X-Men to drop their guard. That time finally came around. Remy examined the door to his cell, looking for any little chink in the armor. He found it between the cell door and the wall. Remy reached into his coat and pulled out a playing card. He looked through the glass to be sure no was present, and then carefully slipped the card from the crease. Remy charged the card and then stepped back, and the card exploded. The door was opened and Remy simply sauntered out of his cell. He looked back and smirked at the cell.

"They makin' this too easy!" he whispered to himself.

Remy found his way out of the cell block and into the main hall. He was only slightly taken aback by the surroundings. It all seemed to be state of the art. The X-Men must've had some significant financial backing. That was at least what Remy was assuming. Remy actually felt a bit lost as he wondered in between the different areas. The first room he'd passed through was the infirmary. Not too much worth of particular interest in there. Then there was the preparation room where the X-Men kept their uniforms. Remy chuckled at the notion of them going outside in these things before returning to his sight seeing tour. The next door appeared to be locked off. Remy couldn't seem to find a means of opening it so he moved on. He had no idea that the door led into Cerebro. Remy then found his way into the Danger Room, and he marveled at the sheer size of it. He was unaware of his passing over a floor laser. Then the entrance closed and Remy was trapped inside.

"Well, that's very interesting," Remy commented as he examined the door. It was locked shut. "How the hell do I get outta here?"

Then a red light filled the Danger Room and a computerized voice sounded. "INTRUDER DETECTED IN DANGER ROOM: DEFENSE SYSTEMS ACTIVATED."

Remy didn't have a clue of what was happening, but things became quite clear when a series of high tech guns appeared around the walls. The guns pointed directly at Remy, who just stood in total awe. Then the guns started firing. Remy just barely jumped out of the way of the initial fire. More gunfire followed and Remy had to defend himself from it. He quickly began tossing a series of explosive cards at the guns all while staying on the move. A few of the guns was destroyed in seconds, but the remaining guns continued firing on Remy. Remy stayed on the move while throwing cards at the guns. One by one, the guns were reduced to fragments, and Remy believed he was nearly freedom. But as the last gun fell, the walls opened and giant metal pincer claws emerged.

"Aw, who the hell are these people?" Remy shouted.

* * *

Logan was bored. Again! He would've liked to have been either out on the open road or in the Danger Room fighting a random hologram. Instead, he was simply wondering around the school and he was getting a tad hungry. Luckily for Logan, he found a fruit dish and unsheathed his claws through a single apple. Hopefully, Ororo wouldn't mind if Logan helped himself to some fruit. Actually, Logan would've preferred some beer. If only there was some in the school. Logan ultimately wrote it off and took a bite from the apple. As he did so, a mutant girl with a series of bone plates on her face and back passed by him. Logan said nothing as the girl passed by him without even looking his way.

Logan waiting for the girl to disappear into the next room before silently commenting, "I thought Hank looked strange."

Logan walked around the lobby for a while longer, passing by several other students. They all shot glances at Logan for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Had they never seen a guy eat an apple before? Logan cocked an eyebrow at the students, scaring some of them while other seemed amused. Then Logan noticed a console on the far wall, near the elevator that went to lower level. Logan's first instinct was to simply ignore it, but then he quickly dropped his fruit and activated the console. A video screen popped up and showed the Danger Room, and also showed Remy LeBeau fighting to stay alive.

"That damn Cajun bastard!" Logan snarled as he rushed into the elevator to the lower level.

Before the doors closed, Rogue appeared out of nowhere and held them. "Logan, what's going on?"

"Your new best friend's on the loose," Logan snapped. "He's trapped in the Danger Room."

A shocked Rogue quickly asked, "What!?"

* * *

Remy stayed on the move as the giant claws attempted and failed to grab him. Being that the claws were all attached to the walls via irons tethers, they were very flexible. It made simply avoiding them a monstrous effort for Remy. But Remy kept his wits about him, throwing his explosive cards at the claws and destroying them. But every time he managed to destroy one, two or three others took its place. Worse still, Remy was running low on cards and he didn't have his staff with him. So when one of the claws eventually caught him, Remy did the only thing he could to get free. Remy slammed his hands onto the claw's connection tether and charged it with kinetic energy. As soon as he let go, the tether exploded and Remy was thrown to the ground hard. Remy knew he was far from out of danger as more claws came right for him. Then they suddenly stopped with little explanation.

The computerized voice sounded off yet again. "DANGER ROOM DEFENSE SYSTEMS DEACTIVATED."

"Um, okay," Remy mused. "That was weird!"

Then the doors opened and Remy hustled out of the Danger Room. Unfortunately, Logan was waiting for him and grabbed Remy. Logan threw Remy to the nearest wall and held him there, claws extended and in the Cajun's face. "How the hell did you get out?"

"It's your security! You tell me!" Remy said in defiance.

Logan tightened his grip and moved his claws closer to Remy's face. "I'm gonna give you till the count of the three to talk, otherwise I'll make mince meat outta that pretty boy face of yours."

Then Rogue put her hand on Logan's arm and said, "Don't do it, Logan."

Logan was stunned, as was Remy. "You're gonna vouch for this guy, now. Is that it?"

"I don't think he meant to cause trouble with us," Rogue said, sounding as if she was actually defending the Cajun. "Why don't we just give him a chance to explain things?"

"Now, you see, I'm all for that," Remy exclaimed, shifting his eyes between Logan and his claws. "Could you maybe get these things away from my face?"

The last comment from Remy was ignored by Logan. His gaze was firmly fixed on Rogue. Logan should've been somewhat disgusted with Rogue for keeping secret her recent regaining of her powers. Instead, he looked at her with confusion. What reason did Rogue have in defending Remy in the first place? Did Rogue absorbing some of Remy's power have anything to do with it? Logan glared at Remy, whose own eyes remained fixed on the claws that remained inches from his face. Logan should've been suspicious. He should've simply ignored Rogue and thrown Remy back into his cell. He could've but he ultimately didn't. Logan retracted his claws and let Remy crumble to the floor. Remy picked himself up and dusted himself off.

Logan didn't even glance at Remy, instead keeping his eyes on Rogue. "I'm gonna trust you on this, kid."

Logan walked passed Remy, who had the temerity to ask, "So, does this mean I can stick around?" Instead of answer and without turning, Logan simply gave Remy the middle claw. Rogue glared at Remy and shook her head, to which Remy asked, "Was it something I said?"

* * *

Warren Sr. kept himself relatively busy following yet another failed attempt to sway his son. It was to be expected somewhat, but that didn't make the emotional pain any less bearable. Warren III was disgusted enough with his father for creating the previous cure, and even more so now with the Legacy cure going into production. Warren Sr. felt picked up a photo of himself, a woman who likely was his wife at some point and young Warren III. Warren III was wearing a light brown coat to cover up his at the time small wings. Looking at the photo, Warren Sr. was suddenly lost in thought. He started to wonder if he was making a mistake. It compelled him to hit a switch in his answering machine.

"Sybil, could you hold any forthcoming calls for me," he said into the machine. Strangely, there was no answer from the secretary outside. "Sybil, where are you?"

Again, there was no answer from outside the office. Warren Sr. became both confused and worried. Why wasn't Sybil answering? Warren Sr. ultimately came to two conclusions. The first conclusion was that Sybil was lured away by some random man. The second was that she was detained in the employee's washroom. Warren Sr. became curious and slightly annoyed and went to the office door. When he opened it, there was no sign of his secretary. Then Warren Sr. froze upon feeling the barrel of a gun to his temple. Standing next to the man, with her finger on the trigger, was Domino.

"You even try to make a move and you're dead, old man." she said before glancing to the far end.

Pyro suddenly appeared in a flash of pink light, courtesy of Blink. Pyro came face to face with Warren Sr. "You remember me, don't you?"

Warren Sr. was instantly petrified at seeing the fire wielding mutant again. "You're one of Magneto's henchmen. What've you done to my secretary?"

"You could ask Blink over here, although I doubt she say much," Pyro said, and he ignited his palm lighter. "Now, I suggest you tell us about that new cure of yours. We want to know where it's being developed."

Before Warren Sr. could be forced to answer, three security guards arrived on the scene. They pulled out their side arms and aimed. Pyro reacted to the guards faster than they could, and in one fell swoop, unleashed a wall of fire unto them. They didn't even have a chance to scream as they were incinerated in seconds. Domino shut her eyes to avoid seeing the charred remains, while Blink seemed rather indifferent. The heat from the flames triggered the sprinkler system. Pyro ignored the sprinklers and shut off his lighter.

"Now, unless you want to be barbecued, teleported into space or just shot in the head, you'll tell me what I want to know," Pyro snapped. "Where's the Legacy cure being developed?"

Warren Sr. was understandably hesitant, but anything was better that being burned alive. "My primary factory is situated on Roosevelt Island. The Legacy cure is being developed there and shipment will begin five days from now."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" Pyro mocked and threw Warren Sr. to the floor.

As the trio began to leave, Domino confronted Pyro and asked, "What about the old man?"

"Leave him for now," Pyro answered straight away. "We've got a date with the Legacy cure."

"Pyro, you know he's going to contact the factory," Domino pointed out. "And you know the X-Men are going to get involved at some point."

"Let him contact the factory. The humans there can't stop us," Pyro boldly declared. "As for the X-Men, we can handle them, and we'll do what Magneto should've done. No more mercy for them. We'll kill them all. Blink, get us out of here."

Blink nodded all while remaining silent and then generated a shimmering violet crystal in her hand. The trio stopped at where they were and Blink put her other hand on Domino, who in turn put hers on Pyro. Without a second thought, Blink took the crystal threw it at her own body. It wasn't a fatal move. In a flash of pink light, the three Brotherhood members disappeared from sight. Meanwhile, Warren Sr. crawled back into his office and picked up his phone. He dialed the necessary numbers, waited and then a voice answered.

"Get me Carol Danvers," he said. "It's an emergency!"

* * *

When the day began for Remy, he generally expected to escape his imprisonment. He was halfway there before he became trapped in the Danger Room. Blasted Cajun curiosity, always getting Remy in trouble! Things then took a very unexpected turn for Remy, as he was now given his own room at the Xavier Institute. Okay, so technically he was still a prisoner, but at least now he'd be comfortable. Better than that, Rogue was the one showing Remy to where he'd be rooming. For now anyway!

"Now this is more my style!" Remy commented and threw himself onto the waiting bed.

"This room used to belong to Colossus before he went back to Russia," Rogue explained. "It's been vacant since then."

Remy laid down on the bed and put his hand behind his head. "I think I'm gonna like it here. Much obliged petite!"

Rogue shook her head and told Remy, "Logan said this'd be a temporary thing, so I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you."

Remy glanced at Rogue, smiling as if without a single care in the world. "See, now ya breaking my heart!"

Rogue seemed quite amused at Remy's charming attitude. "I gotta go!"

Before she left, Remy quickly said, "Wait a sec! Why'd ya vouch for me earlier? It couldn't be because of my Cajun charm."

Rogue couldn't keep herself from chuckling. "I got my reasons, let's leave it at that."

"I'm more then happy to hear your reasons, cherie." Remy exclaimed.

Rogue honestly had no idea what to make of Remy. He seemed generally charming and not the least bit hostile. It could've simply been a front for some deep seeded turmoil, but Rogue wasn't getting that vibe. Strangely enough, she felt almost at peace around the Cajun, more so than with Bobby in the past. Speaking of Bobby, he suddenly appeared in the hall, apparently searching for Rogue.

"Rogue, we've got…" Bobby suddenly trailed off upon seeing Remy. An awkward silence followed.

"How ya doing?" Remy asked, as if there was nothing wrong. There wasn't of course.

Rogue looked at Bobby and asked, "What is it, Bobby?"

"It's the Brotherhood," Bobby said right away. "Their making their move."

* * *

Author's note: That's another chapter over and done with... another cliffhanger! HA HA! Be sure to review at some point, because I will not continue otherwise. Believe me, the last thing I want is to delete this thing.


	7. Impulsiveness

Disclaimer: I was going to wait until later but I decided to add the next chapter now, just for the hell of it. So, I still don't own the rights to X-Men. I'd love to hunt down Brett Ratner and punch him directly in the face.

* * *

Chapter VII  
Impulsiveness

By now, the X-Men knew about the Brotherhood's recent reemergence into the limelight. There was considerable concern about whether or not Magneto and Mystique were among them. But since the events on Alcatraz and afterward, there'd been no confirmation of either of them. Pyro had escaped being captured and formed a new Brotherhood and they were on the move. So, it fell to Emma Frost to locate the group. That ultimately meant, much to the chagrin of Ororo that Emma would be allowed to use Cerebro to track them down. The massive circular door opened and Emma calmly started into the room while Logan and Ororo watched. Ororo grabbed Emma by her arm before she could go any further and they locked eyes.

"You're on hallowed ground here, princess," Ororo spat. "Don't make us regret this."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, witch." Emma spat back before stepping across the bridge to Cerebro.

Logan confronted Ororo as the door closed behind her. "I know this isn't any of my business, but what the hell's the deal with you and Frost?"

Ororo sighed in frustration. "It's a long story Logan, and I'm not in the mood to discuss it."

"Suit yourself!" Logan muttered.

In the meantime, Emma put on the helmet that was once used by Prof. Xavier as well as by Jean Grey at one point. Emma took a deep breath, closed her eyes and concentrated. In moments, the surrounding area seemed to fall away and left Emma standing in total darkness. Then the signatures of countless humans appeared and lit the room. So many of them were close enough for Emma to touch their minds, but she was clearly not looking for them. White light became red to signify the mutant population, and Emma concentrated hard to locate the Brotherhood's current whereabouts. She found them. They appeared to be mobile but not in a ground vehicle. Emma concentrated just a little bit harder and discovered the vehicle the Brotherhood using. And where they were heading! The room returned to normal, as if nothing happened. Emma removed the helmet and returned to the hall in which Logan and Ororo were waiting.

"The Brotherhood has stolen what appears to be a Worthington owned private jet," Emma informed the pair. "They're on route to Roosevelt Island, and going very fast."

Ororo and Logan exchanged glances and Logan commented, "They've gotta be up to something if they're in that big a hurry."

"Is there something you'd care to share with us, Angel?" Emma asked.

Warren and Jubilee emerged from an out of the way hiding place. "How did you…" Warren stopped mid sentence upon remembering that Emma was psychic. "Never mind!"

"Warren, is there something you have to tell us?" Ororo asked.

"Well, you said the Brotherhood was headed for Roosevelt Island, right," Warren said. "My dad has a production factory there. That's probably where his new cure is being developed."

"The Brotherhood's going to destroy the cure before it can be made available," Ororo realized. "They'll kill anyone that tries to stop them."

"Not if we stop them first," Logan added. "Storm, you go get Bobby. Tell him to suit up and meet us in the hanger," Logan turned to Warren. "Angel, you're with us."

Jubilee stepped up and said, "I'm ready when you are, Logan."

Logan looked at Jubilee, shook his head and said, ""No way! This is too big for you, Sparky."

"But I can do it," Jubilee pleaded. "And stop calling me _Sparky_!"

"Sorry, kid," Logan said. "It's way too dangerous. You're not ready to be out on the field. Stay here!"

Logan left with Ororo and Emma. Warren was about to join them when he saw the hurt in Jubilee's eyes. "Jubilee…?"

"This isn't fair, Warren," Jubilee spat. "I've been training in the Danger Room for weeks. I should be able to help everyone."

Warren rested his hands on Jubilee's shoulders and told her, "I know and I'd gladly have you at my side. But for right now, just trust Logan's judgment and stay here."

Jubilee sighed and pulled away from Warren. "How could I trust anyone when they won't trust me?"

"I trust you," Warren said. "And I care about you a lot. Just do this one thing for, okay?"

Jubilee sighed, defeated and she nodded. She stormed off, leaving Warren alone with his thoughts. Warren did care about Jubilee, and that was why he simply couldn't risk her safety.

* * *

A few moments later, Wolverine and Storm were suited up and headed into the hanger. Storm glanced at Wolverine's uniform and noticed the sleeves were cut off, leaving only the gloves. Interesting. In the hanger rested the replacement vehicle for the X-Jet; the X-7 Velocity helicopter. Despite it relatively small size compared to the jet, the Velocity was fully armed and large enough to transport up to ten people. Iceman and Angel entered the hanger and marveled at the helicopter.

Iceman was quick to exclaim, "Whoa!"

"Nice, huh," Wolverine added. "When we get back I'll show you how to pilot this baby."

Storm came up to Wolverine and said, "Hank and Kitty are staying behind to watch the students. As for Remy, well, he doesn't seem all too interested in causing trouble."

"Let's hope not," Wolverine added. "I still don't trust that guy."

"Logan!" came a familiar voice. Rogue entered the hanger after Storm and in full uniform plus a dark brown jacket.

"Rogue, what're you doing?" Wolverine asked.

"What's it look like, I'm comin' with you." Rogue said with a defiant tone in her voice.

"Storm, get the ship started, I'll catch up," Wolverine said before turning back to Rogue. "You sure you're ready for this kid?"

"I just got my powers back, and what good would I do sitting on the sideline," Rogue exclaimed. "I'm goin' and you ain't stoppin' me."

Wolverine smirked at Rogue's new found confidence. "Then climb aboard, kid."

Rogue smirked back at Wolverine and rushed into the Velocity. As she took the nearest available seat, Rogue exchanged glances with Iceman. An awkward silenced emerged between them. It wasn't that long ago that they were a couple. Obviously, that was in the past now. Meanwhile, Wolverine was entering the Velocity when he caught the scent of Emma Frost. He turned as sure enough, there was Emma approaching the Velocity in her own uniform. This one was a silvery white color compared to the black uniforms, and had a shimmering white cape in contrast to the one Storm wore.

"Don't look so surprised, Wolverine."

Emma simply waltzed passed Wolverine, not even affording him as much as a glance. Wolverine simply cocked an eyebrow and ultimately wrote it off as arrogance on Emma's part. He headed into the ship as the ramp closed behind him. Wolverine to the copilot's seat next to Storm. He could already smell the tension between Storm and Emma. Storm was obviously not too enthusiastic about having Emma aboard the ship. Storm flipped a series of switches and the Velocity shuddered to life. The main rotor began it rotation, slow at first and then picking up speed. Wolverine hit some switches to open the hanger doors that doubled as the school's basketball court. Many of the students in the school caught a glimpse of the Velocity as it rose from the hanger and into the waiting sky. A single afterburner at the tail end ignited and the copter rocketed away.

Gambit happened to watching the proceedings and said, "Now that's a mighty fine way to travel!"

* * *

Domino had the production factory square in her sights. It couldn't be missed, not with the considerably large "W" plastered on the wall. The rest of the Brotherhood were on the ground below and ready to converge on the front gate. As expected, the security force guarding the factory prepared to defend it. Pyro, who was leading the group of Avalanche, Quicksilver, Blink and Polaris, found the human's defensives to be laughable at best. He also noticed that their guns were made of metal. Pyro laughed at the pitiful efforts.

"You'd think they would've learned by now," he said, and then turned to Polaris. "Polaris, get their guns."

Polaris was hesitant to act until Quicksilver gave her a nod. Sighing, Polaris threw her hands out in front of herself and created a magnetic field, similar to Magneto's. Every single gun was literally pulled from the guards present, some even being threw to the ground by the force. Pyro produced a wall of fire to drive off the guards, although some were dumb enough to stay behind. Those fools were burned for their trouble. Then Pyro turned to the burly Avalanche.

"Make us a door, Avalanche!"

"Yeah, I got that!" Avalanche sounded off.

It was Avalanche's turn to show his stuff, stepping in front of the group. Rubbing his hands together and then outstretching them, Avalanche generated an earthquake that rocked the surrounding area. The ground began cracking, and then shifted upwards. The tremor rapidly approached the main gate of the factory and collided with it. With some added effort, Avalanche literally brought the gate down. Any remaining guards that were present would likely have been crushed by falling debris. Luckily for them, Quicksilver sped in to save the guards before they were killed. Not that Pyro would've cared anyway. Polaris used her magnetic powers to move the fallen gate out of the way of the group. There were still a pair of snipers in two guard towers but Blink struck them with a pair of javelins. One guard was teleported all the way to the top of the Brooklyn Bridge. The other wasn't as fortunate, having been teleported to the Arctic Circle. Pyro took a good look around the factory. No guards were present, but that was likely to change.

"Alright, Avalanche and Blink, you two hold off anyone who tries to get close," Pyro ordered and than turned to Quicksilver and Polaris, "Polaris and Quicksilver, you come with me."

Quicksilver quickly confronted Pyro and told him, "Just so you understand Pyro, nobody dies in here."

"I'll take it into consideration, of course Magneto would've thought differently," Pyro spat and pressed a communication link on his right ear. "Domino, you reading me?"

"Loud and clear!" Domino said from the other end.

"I've got Avalanche and Blink guarding the front," Pyro said. "Keep them covered and stay alert. The X-Men are bound to show up."

On her lookout post, Domino muttered, "Oh sure, give me the tough job!"

* * *

Domino wasn't the only one with her eye on things, nor was she even aware of the other presence. Hidden from view, Vertigo was busy keeping tabs on the Brotherhood. Essex was, as usual, being tight lipped about the reasons Vertigo was stuck doing recon. Worse than that, Multiple Man happened to be along for the assignment. Vertigo received the raw end of the deal on that one. While Vertigo was doing all the work, Multiple Man was lazily lounging about by a tree with absolutely no care whatsoever. Vertigo was mentally begging for someone to kill her right at that moment.

"So, what the hell does Essex want us to do here?" Multiple Man asked.

"If I knew that, then I wouldn't be here," Vertigo spat. "It's bad enough I have to be his watch dog, but I'm also stuck with you."

"C'mon, it can't be that bad, Vertigo," Multiple Man said. "Maybe while we're here, you and I can get to know each other a little better."

"Maybe you could just drop dead," Vertigo spat. "Anyway, Essex won't divulge the full details of why we're here; only who he needs and where to find them. The rest is up to us."

Multiple Man simply shrugged and went back to lounging around. Vertigo glared at her compatriot. Useless!

* * *

The X-Men were still a long way from their destination. The Velocity wasn't nearly as fast as the X-Jet was in the past, but it would make it in time. The time couldn't seem to go any quicker for Iceman. He couldn't stop looking at Rogue ever since he found her in the same place as Gambit. He didn't know what to say or how to say it. Iceman was at a loss for words, so he just kept looking at his former girlfriend. Rogue probably felt Iceman's eyes fixed on her, but she didn't turn to meet them.

"Rogue," Iceman said to Rogue. "About what I said before…"

"It's fine, Iceman," Rogue responded with an indifferent tone in her voice. "I'm over it."

Iceman seemed to stammer on his words. "I understand that, but you know things didn't happen like they were expected, with me and Kitty and now you and…"

"Just drop it, Bobby!" Rogue snapped.

Wolverine happened to be eavesdropping, much to his displeasure. "What is this; the Young and the Restless?"

"What're you complaining about?" Storm asked.

"Who said I was complaining?" Wolverine responded.

Storm rolled her eyes and went back to the Velocity controls. "We're less than seven minutes out from the factory. Everybody get ready. You'd better pull your weight out there, Frost."

"You have nothing to worry about," Emma said assuredly. "Oh, and you might want to inform our _stowaway_ that we've almost arrived."

Stowaway? Wolverine and Storm exchanged shocked glances. Then Wolverine sniffed the air and realized Emma was right. Wolverine unhooked himself from his seat and moved to the rear of the cockpit. His quick pace drew the attention of the rest of the crew. Wolverine opened a compartment and found Jubilee hiding inside. While Wolverine was understandably stunned, Angel was even more so.

"Jubilee!?"

The rest of the crew looked on in astonishment as Jubilee emerged from hiding. All Jubilee could say was, "Um... hi everybody!"

* * *

Author's note: Jubilee, you have been busted! Anyway, that's yet another chapter finished, and we're one step closer to _**his** _arrival. Let me know what what you think and I'll be back soon.


	8. Battle Lines

Disclaimer: We all knew the X-Men would have to face the Brotherhood eventually. (Again) For those of you who haven't the slightest idea of who is Carol Danvers, what the f**K is wrong with you? She's a very important character in the Marvel Comics universe. Seriously, go the website and look her up! Yes, I am babbling like a idiot! I still don't own the rights to X-Men.

* * *

Chapter VIII  
Battle Lines

"What the hell are you doing here, kid?" Wolverine demanded of the recently located stowaway that was Jubilee.

Jubilee bit her lip in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I just thought I could help you."

"Well, you could also get killed," Wolverine pointed out. "This is way too big for you."

Angel got up from his seat and approached Jubilee. "You're not supposed to be here, Jubilee."

"And you are? I can handle myself, Angel," Jubilee exclaimed. "The least you could do is trust me."

Storm was listening in on the argument and explained, "Listen, we're less than two minutes from our destination. Let's finish this another time."

Wolverine rushed back to his seat next to Storm, while Jubilee took the one vacant seat next to Iceman. Angel sat back down and honestly had no idea what to think. He knew Jubilee was not supposed to be there. How did she even get onto the Velocity without anyone noticing? Meanwhile, Wolverine and Storm kept on course toward the factory. Then something flew passed the Velocity, nearly throwing it off course. It slowed down and the X-Men were astonished to see that it was a woman in flight. The woman glared into the cockpit at the X-Men, and then she flew ahead. She was headed in the exact same direction that the X-Men were headed.

"Who was that," Storm wondered out loud. "I've never seen her before."

Emma had her eyes shut, having been scanning the woman's mind. The she opened her eyes and explained, "That woman was Carol Danvers. Seems she's on route to the factory as well!"

"Hold on, she's stopping." Storm said.

The Velocity came to a halt, as Carol Danvers happened to be hovering in the way. "This isn't your fight, X-Men. You should leave right now for your own sake."

Wolverine flipped a switch that opened the ramp and Danvers met him in mid air. "Listen lady, we've fought the Brotherhood long before you. This is as much our fight as it is yours."

Danvers shook her head and demanded, "Just stay out of my way." Feeling that she'd gotten her point across, Danvers flew onward toward the factory and the X-Men followed.

* * *

The Brotherhood was running rough shot throughout the factory. Their mission was simply to prevent the creation of the Legacy cure. Of course, that alone didn't stop Pyro from the occasional burning. Factory guards attempted to halt the renegade mutant groups' advance from time to time. They were often either knocked to the ground by the hyper fast Quicksilver or had their weapons pulled away by Polaris' magnetic fields. Either way, the guards were in deep trouble. Meanwhile, Avalanche and Blink were busy keeping the police at bay. Avalanche produced a series of tremors that on occasion, flipped random squad cars upside down, sometimes with cops trapped inside. Blink used her javelins to teleport hapless cops to random locations. Back in the factory, Quicksilver noticed that Pyro appeared to be having too much fun. Pyro was conjuring random shapes with his flames; fire horses, firebirds and even devils. It didn't matter to Pyro as long he was causing the havoc. The trio of mutants reached the entrance to a control room, and Polaris pulled the door from its hinges. Pyro stormed his way in and smirked at the helpless factory workers.

"You people should've found another job," Pyro said and prepared to burn the workers alive. Suddenly, Quicksilver stopped Pyro before he could unleash his flames. "What the hell are you doing, Quicksilver?"

"These people are defenseless, Pyro," Quicksilver said. "They don't need to die."

"Defenseless, my ass," Pyro snarled at Quicksilver. "These people wanna take ours powers away with their cure. Your father said it best: _we're the cure_."

"Well, I'm not my father," Quicksilver snarled back. "Polaris and I are not murderers."

"This is all wrong, Pyro, and you know it." Polaris added.

Pyro pulled away from Quicksilver and ignited his flames. "All I know is I've got a pair of cowards who're scared to do what's necessary for all mutants. But I'm not!"

Just then, Domino chimed in from her post. "Excuse me for interrupting, but we've got X-Men landing out here."

_Great timing, Domino, _Pyro thought before extinguishing his flames. He glared at Quicksilver and spat. "We'll continue this later, speed freak."

* * *

The Velocity landed outside the factory and the X-Men quickly got outside. They were quick to make note of the two mutants standing by at the front gate. The rest of the Brotherhood arrived minus Domino. She was content with simply picking off targets from a distance. Wolverine, Emma Frost and Storm were at the head of the group. Angel was hovering just off the ground and Iceman, Rogue and Jubilee took up the rear. Then Carol Danvers landed right in front of the group.

"You're really gettin' on my nerves, lady." Wolverine snarled.

"Just keep your group out of my way," Danvers snapped back. "I can handle this myself."

Danvers took to the air, and Emma commented, "Charming, isn't she?"

"The hell with her," Wolverine snarled and turned to the group. "Storm, you and Angel take to the air. Rogue, you're with me. Everyone else, stay alert and watch each others' back."

"What should I do?" Jubilee asked.

"You stay with Frost and Iceman," Wolverine said. "You ain't ready for this, Sparky."

_I hate it when he says that! _Jubilee thought and then nodded before glancing at Emma and Iceman. "Don't worry, Bobby; I've got your back."

"No, you don't have my back," Iceman pointed out. "You don't even have a clue."

Meanwhile, Pyro was seething at the arrival of the X-Men and turned to Avalanche. "Bury them!"

Avalanche nodded and generated another, much larger tremor than the last few. The ground cracked open and mounded of rubble emerged. That didn't stop Wolverine from sprinting right at Avalanche, claws extended. Pyro and Blink were paired off against Angel and Storm, while Rogue battled Polaris hand to hand. This left Quicksilver to face the remaining X-Men on his own. He began running circled around them and managed to score some hits on Iceman and Emma. Jubilee was unsure of what to do. Iceman finally had enough and quickly froze the ground. Quicksilver's speed proved to be his undoing as he ended up slipping on the ice. Meanwhile, Pyro was trying almost in vain to burn Angel in mid-flight. That didn't work, so Pyro conjured up a flaming angel. The fire angel entered a dogfight with the real Angel. Storm kept herself airborne, avoiding a series of javelins thrown by Blink. Blink didn't see Danvers coming right at her and was slammed to the ground. Even grounded, Blink tossed a javelin at Danvers but she caught and threw it back. Blink rolled out of the way before she was hit by her own weapon. Quicksilver made an attempt to ambush Danvers, but Danvers saw it coming and side stepped him. At least Quicksilver stopped himself this time. Wolverine slashed at Avalanche relentlessly, leaving claw marks in the larger mutant's armor.

"You ain't so tough now, bub!" Wolverine snarled.

Avalanche managed to head butt Wolverine off of him and then threw Wolverine down. Once back up, Avalanche forced the ground open, hoping it would swallow Wolverine whole. Wolverine instead leaped into the air and came right back down on his larger foe. Pinning Avalanche down, Wolverine reared his claws back but then Quicksilver sped in and took him down. Wolverine fought back and pinned the hyper fast mutant to the ground, ready to deliver the killing strike. But then he was forcibly stopped by an unseen force. Then next thing he knew, Wolverine was pulled from his victim and slammed to the ground. The first thing that went through his mind was Magneto. Then Wolverine looked straight up and saw young Polaris standing over him.

"Please," she begged. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Really," Wolverine wondered, all the while trying to move his arms. "You could've fooled me!"

Before Polaris could do anything else, she felt herself weakening and then she collapsed. Rogue stood over her as Wolverine picked himself up. "Ya alright?" Rogue asked.

Wolverine shook his head and told Rogue, "I'll live, thanks!"

Then Danvers came between the two mutants. "There're still people trapped inside the factory. Not that I need it, but I could use some help getting them to safety."

Rogue looked at Wolverine and said, "I'll go. I can do more good in there than out here."

Wolverine had a conflicted look on his face but said, "Alright, but be careful."

Rogue nodded and followed Carol Danvers into the factory. Wolverine meanwhile, was unaware that Domino had his head in her sights. But she was unable to take the shot on account of Emma Frost's mental attacks from below. Angel was still dog-fighting with Pyro's flame angel, but Iceman extinguished it. Pyro noticed Iceman and went after his former friend. As for Storm, she was airborne attempting to blast Blink with a series of lightning strikes. Blink was trying to strike back with a barrage of javelins. Quicksilver was busy literally running circles around Wolverine and scoring free shots. All that was really doing was simply pissing Wolverine off and he caught Quicksilver with a swift backhand to the face.

"You should watch where you're goin' next time!" Wolverine said.

Meanwhile, Pyro confront Iceman and shouted, "Hey, Iceman, I'm ready to pick up where we left off on Alcatraz."

Iceman quickly took his ice form and stormed right for Pyro. "That suits me just fine, Pyro."

Pyro and Iceman quickly unleashed a barraged of fire and ice on each other. Meanwhile, Avalanche approached Emma and Jubilee and generated another quake. The shaking threw Jubilee to the ground but Emma stood her ground and used her mental attacks on Avalanche. Avalanche was stunned but only briefly and he continued his assault. He forced the ground around Emma to rise, trapping the telepath in a rock prison. Avalanche thought he had thing in hand but he didn't count on Emma busting through the rock. Emma's entire body had taken on a hard, diamond-like form and she laid out Avalanche with one straight punch to the chin. Unfortunately, Emma's diamond form prevented her telepathy, so she was unaware of Blink's attempted attack. Blink was suddenly blown to the side by a barrage of sparks. When Emma turned, she was somewhat surprised to see Jubilee standing tall over Blink. Emma was impressed.

* * *

Rogue followed Carol Danvers into the factory, which had been thoroughly trashed by the Brotherhood previously. There were workers trapped under fallen walls and in burning offices. Rogue rescued the people in the offices while Danvers took care of the ones trapped beneath debris. Rogue and Danvers regrouped once the first few people were rescued, but there was good reason to believe there were other people in need of help. Danvers looked up toward the ceiling. It was liable to collapse at some point, and they wouldn't get everyone on her strength alone.

"Girl, what can you do?" Danvers asked Rogue.

"I've got a name, ya know!" Rogue spat.

Danvers grabbed Rogue and snarled, "What type of powers do you have?"

"I can absorb other mutant powers through skin contact." Rogue spat back.

Danvers not at all like the sound of that and let Rogue go. "I guess that'll have to do. Take some of my strength and flight powers, just enough to get this job done."

Rogue nodded and touched Danvers' exposed skin, the process lasting only a minute or so. It wasn't any less disorienting for them. Once Rogue had absorbed enough from Danvers, the unlikely duo moved deeper into the factory. Danvers however, appeared winded. Maybe Rogue had absorbed more than she intended. Or maybe Danvers was just losing a step or two.

* * *

Iceman and Pyro traded an onslaught of ice and fire on each other, and neither had gained a significant advantage. Jubilee had her hands full trying to stop Quicksilver's rapid pace. From a distance, Domino was aiming her rifle directly at the airborne Angel but Storm took her down to ground level. They met and fought tooth and nail without the use of their powers. Angel was still under attack by magnetically controlled projectiles from Polaris before Emma Frost intervened, and Wolverine was back to slashing at Avalanche. Avalanche unleashed a tremor that knocked Wolverine down but then Jubilee blasted Avalanche before he could strike. Wolverine saw the young mutant and nodded his approved.

Then he shouted, "Behind you!"

Jubilee turned just in time to dodge one of Blink's javelins and returned fire. Blink avoided the sparks and tossed more javelins, which Jubilee promptly destroyed. Wolverine got back to his feet only to come under attack by rapid strikes from Quicksilver. Wolverine stood still, waited and then tripped up Quicksilver. Storm and Domino continued to exchange blows until Storm struck Domino with lightning. The blast didn't kill Domino, but it certainly knocked her out. Meanwhile, Iceman demonstrated a new trick he'd picked up during training; he created an ice slide and went airborne. Pyro was hardly impressed and continued shooting his flames, though Iceman's frequent sliding made him a very hard target to hit. Finally, Pyro succeeded in melting the slide and Iceman fell to the ground hard.

Pyro stood over Iceman and snarled, "That was a nice trick, schoolboy, but not good enough."

"Better than your usual tricks, dropout!" Iceman said in defiance.

Pyro prepared to burn Iceman but was suddenly blasted away by Jubilee. Jubilee made her presence known, continuing to relentlessly blast away at Pyro. Every attempt to by Pyro to fight back was quelled by the young mutant. More attacks came until Pyro was knocked to the ground hard. Jubilee ceased her assault and helped Iceman to his feet. Iceman was surprised to say the least.

"Thanks!" he said with the surprise evident in his voice.

"I told you I had your back." Jubilee said, smirking all the while.

Pyro refused to go down without a fight and attempted to burn Iceman and Jubilee in one shot. But he didn't count on the diamond-skinned Emma Frost jumping in and blocking the flames. Pyro didn't care and increased the intensity from the flames, but then Storm intervened and produced a torrential downpour. The flames were extinguished and Pyro finally realized it was a losing battle.

"Everyone, fall back!" he shouted.

The Brotherhood did as order and retreated to their stolen jet, but Domino noticed something was amiss. "Wait; where're Polaris and Quicksilver?"

Pyro looked back as Avalanche and Blink brush by him, and he noticed that Polaris and Quicksilver were absent. "The hell with them; they want to get caught, then that's their problem."

"You're going to leave them?" Domino snapped.

"You wanna stay?" Pyro snapped back.

Domino was conflicted and turned her face away from Pyro. She ultimately shook her head and entered the jet. The X-Men regrouped in time to watch the Brotherhood get away. Then Wolverine realized that Rogue wasn't present among the group. She must've still been in the factory with Danvers. Without thinking, Wolverine sprinted inside despite Storm's warning.

* * *

Author's note: Gee, I wonder what will happen in the next chapter! I love being sarcastic! What did you guys (and girls) think?


	9. Drastic Actions

Disclaimer: Okay, I'm gonna come out and say it: I wrote a novelization of the original Transformers movie from 1986 a few years ago. I look back at it now and I'm not too please with how it came out, so I'm considering rewriting it. Of course, that has nothing to do with this story, which I have resolved to complete first, no matter how long it takes. Oh, and I don't own X-Men.

* * *

Chapter IX  
Drastic Actions

Carol Danvers and Rogue worked quite well together despite their conflicting personalities. It was more or less, a necessity for Danvers to have to work with Rogue, considering even she couldn't do everything alone. She still was feeling the effects of Rogue absorbing a relatively minimal portion of her powers. A small price to pay, really! As for Rogue, she could feel Danvers' super strength coursing through her. She probably would've hating to admit it, but she was glad to have her powers back. In the meantime, Danvers lifted several massive chunks of debris. Rogue could just vaguely hear several people trapped behind a wall. In one shot, Rogue drove her fist through the wall and found the people inside.

"This way! We'll get you to safety." Rogue shouted.

"Girl, hurry up and get these people out of here," Danvers shouted. "That ceiling won't last much longer."

Rogue looked up and noticed that the ceiling was about to give way. Meanwhile, Wolverine arrived and started directing the workers to the exit. As the trio was aiding the workers, the ceiling gave way sooner than expected. Danvers quickly flew up and braced the ceiling. It was much heavier than she'd anticipated. Danvers could barely hold the ceiling up while Rogue and Wolverine escorted the last of the workers to safety. Hoping her absorbed strength would hold out, Rogue flew in and helped Danvers hold the ceiling.

"What're you doing, girl," Danvers demanded. "Get out of here, now!"

"My name is Rogue, and I ain't goin' anywhere," Rogue said in defiance. The ceiling was becoming too heavy for Rogue to hold any longer. "I'm losin' it!"

Wolverine watched on and shouted, "Rogue, get outta there!"

"Girl, Rogue," Danvers shouted Rogue's name for once. "Absorb my powers, as much you can manage."

"But you'll die if I hold on too long." Rogue explained.

"Just do it," Danvers commanded. "Whatever happens, do not let go!"

As conflicted as she was, Rogue didn't have much choice. Taking a deep breath, Rogue took hold Danvers' face. Almost immediately, Rogue could feel herself absorbing Danvers' powers. She was growing stronger with each passing second. At the same time, Danvers could feel her powers slowly slipping away and she was weakening. She started to think it was a bad idea but urged Rogue to not let go. Wolverine watched in horror as Rogue and Danvers struggled, and the ceiling was becoming heavier.

He thought, _C'mon, kid! What the hell are you doing?_

Rogue looked down at Wolverine and shouted, "Run!"

Seconds later, the ceiling finally gave way on top of the women. Wolverine quickly dashed out of the way before he could be crushed by the falling debris. Rogue and Danvers were not as fortunate, having been totally buried beneath the rubble. Without thinking about his own wellbeing, Wolverine quickly began rummaging through the mess. Storm and Angel arrived to assess the damage and found Wolverine literally clawing through the wreckage.

"Wolverine, we have to get out of here," Storm said. "The authorities will be here any minute."

Wolverine kept clawing at the debris and shouted, "Not without Rogue. I'm not leaving her, Storm."

As Wolverine continued clawing through, a slight explosion sounded and a familiar voice called out, "Wolverine, I'm here!"

Wolverine quickly rushed to Rogue and asked, "You alright, kid?"

Rogue was breathing heavily but managed to say, "I'm fine, but she's not."

Rogue spoke about Carol Danvers. She was unconscious and heavily bruised and bleeding from the ceiling collapse. Angel took her in his arms and followed the rest of the group to the exit. The rest of the X-Men were waiting inside the Velocity when Wolverine, Storm, Rogue and Angel entered. While Angel strapped the unconscious Danvers into a seat, Storm fired up the engine. The Velocity rotor whirred to life and the craft lifted off the ground soon after.

"Alright, let's get the hell outta here!" Wolverine exclaimed.

"Course is laid in; next stop: home." Storm added.

Wolverine turned to rest of the team and said, "Good work out there, team. And Sparky," Wolverine turned directly toward Jubilee. "Jubilee, you did good out there!"

Jubilee leaned forward and asked, "So, does that make me an X-Man?"

Storm and Wolverine exchanged glances and Wolverine said, "You got lucky. That doesn't make you an X-Man," Wolverine stoically said, and much to Jubilee's dismay. Then he said, "Not _yet_ anyway!"

"The initiation's going to have to wait," Storm said. "We've got company."

Wolverine checked the radar and three blips pulsed across the screen. "C'mon, Storm. Get us outta here."

"I need more time to warm up the afterburner." Storm said.

"Yeah, well we don't have time." Wolverine pointed out.

"You want to get out and push?" Storm snapped.

As Wolverine and Storm argued, Angel had an utterly crazy idea pop into his head. Emma sensed it and mentally urged Angel not to do anything rash. Angel was unwilling to listen and unhooked his seat belt. He opened the ramp and prepared to jump out into the sky. Wolverine and Storm took notice of this action. So did Jubilee.

"Warren, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm going to buy you some time to get clear." Angel said.

"Don't be stupid, Angel," Wolverine demanded. "They'll shoot you out of the sky."

"Better just me than all of us," Angel explained. "I can distract them long enough for the rest of you get away."

Jubilee jumped out of her seat and grabbed Angel. "Warren, please don't do this. It's suicide."

"Jubilee, I'll swear I'll be okay and I'll catch up later." Angel exclaimed.

Angel prepared to take flight, but not before Jubilee stopped him. She pressed her lips to his and then as they broke away, Angel dove out into the sky. Jubilee should've been careful not to fall out but she didn't care. Wolverine had to stop her from leaving the craft and closed the ramp. The rest of the crew was left in stunned silence.

* * *

Angel spread his wings and soared through the sky toward the three helicopters that were pursuing the Velocity. He flew right into their line of sight and even waved at the pilots to get their attention. One of the helicopters broke off the pursuit of the Velocity and targeted Angel. Realizing that his plan worked, partially anyway, Angel quickly flew in the opposite direction and the helicopter gave chase. Perhaps the thing Angel didn't count on was that these were attack helicopters. That meant they had guns, and Angel would be a sitting duck if he didn't stay mobile. Luckily, Angel was capable of climbing as far as the atmosphere. Plus, clouds filled the sky. That would've made for reasonably good cover. Meanwhile, the Velocity was still trying to shake off the remaining helicopters until the afterburner was ready. Angel was watching the whole thing while dodging his helicopter.

"C'mon, c'mon guys," he muttered to himself. "Get that engine fired up and get out of here."

With seconds to spare, the Velocity's engine ignited and the craft rocketed away far beyond the reach of the pursuing helicopters. Angel was ecstatic to know that his friends were out of harm's way, but now he had to worry about himself. The one copter that was chasing him opened fire. Angel dove out of the way and the copter followed. Angel stayed mobile the entire time, making himself a difficult target to hit. The other copters attempted to ambush Angel and opened fire on him, but that did little to stop the evasive mutant. A new idea, dangerous as it was, crept into Angel's mind; if he could enter the Manhattan skyline, he might be able to lose the helicopters. Plus, they wouldn't risk shooting up buildings just get one mutant. It was a risk, but Angel rolled with it. Angel entered the skyline with the helicopters close behind him. He weaved in between random buildings, making himself a more difficult target than he already was. Angel looked back periodically to see if the copters were behind him. At least one followed but the others backed off. Angel knew enough about aerial maneuvering to know that the helicopters might try to ambush him. It didn't work the first time, so why would it be different on the second attempt? Angel looked back and noticed the first copter was gone. Then he turned and a second copter was hovering in front of him. They were trying to box him in, Angel thought. Angel wouldn't let that happen. He quickly dove under the helicopter and rose back and flew up behind. Angel climbed back toward the sky as fast as he could manage, with the helicopters attempting to follow.

_The clouds should provide enough cover for me, assuming I can reach them._ Angel thought.

Angel continued to gain altitude, while the helicopters were continuing their own, slower assent. Just a few more feet; that was all Angel needed to reach the clouds. Angel finally reached the cloud coverage and this caused the pursuing helicopters to lose sight of him. The gamble worked as Angel flew through the clouds. There didn't appear to any sign of the pursuing helicopters, and Angel stopped momentarily while hidden. He should've felt relieved to be in the clear, but Angel felt uneasy as he waited. Minutes went by like they never existed, and Angel finally decided he'd waited long enough. The copters had to have broken off their pursuit by now. Angel flew out of the clouds and into the open sky. But his luck went bad quickly when the helicopters reappeared. They'd been waiting for Angel the entire time. Angel tried to get clear as the copters opened fire on him. He weaved to and fro to avoid the rapid gunfire, but Angel's luck finally ran out. He felt an excruciating stinging in his left wing and quickly realized he'd been shot. Almost immediately, Angel felt himself rapidly plummeting back to Earth. He tried to use his undamaged right wing to slow his fall. The Manhattan skyscrapers were getting closer. Angel should've been able to land on the roof of one of the buildings, and he desperately steered toward them. It almost worked. Angel grabbed the ledge of the closest building but he just as quickly lost his grip and kept falling. The next building, same thing happened and Angel kept falling. Moments later, Angel impacted the roof of a parked car, collapsing it on impact. The authorities arrived at the scene soon after with an ambulance.

One of the medics rushed to Angel's side and checked his pulse, if any at all. She was surprised and exclaimed, "I've got a faint pulse here; he's alive. Let get him to Manhattan General."

* * *

Warren Sr. rushed through the hospital hallway in search of the room in which his son rested. His frantic was to be expected in any parent. The elder Worthington found the room Warren was in and nearly ran into a doctor coming out of the room. Warren Sr. barely caught a glimpse of Warren in a hospital room before the doctor stopped him.

"Mr. Worthington, I'm Dr. Adler," the doctor said, thought Warren Sr. was hardly interested in introductions. "Warren suffered some relatively minor injuries but he should make a full recovery."

"I need to see him," Warren Sr. said, trying to push his way passed Dr. Adler. "Let me through."

Dr. Adler couldn't stop Warren Sr. from pushing passed him and Warren Sr. finally entered the room. Warren was lying comfortably in his hospital bed. Aside from some scrapes and bruised, he appeared to be healthy. Mostly anyway! Warren's wings were mangled and being supposed on medical slings. Feathers were either shredded or gone entirely and the bone structure appeared totally misshapen. Warren Sr. was in absolute shock at the sight before Dr. Adler pulled him out of the room and into the hallway.

"Mr. Worthington, we're doing all we can to hasten your son's recovery," Dr. Adler said. "Quite frankly, it's a miracle that he survived that fall with such minimal injuries."

"What about his wings?" Warren Sr. asked.

"Unfortunately, the wings sustained serious damage from the impact. The bones appear to be fractured and it's very likely that the left wing may become infected if steps aren't taken," Dr. Alder explained, but Warren Sr. didn't seem to be paying attention. "We can perform surgery to repair the wings."

Suddenly, Warren Sr. surprised the doctor and told him, "No, that won't be necessary."

A stunned Dr. Adler felt compelled to reason with Warren Sr. "Sir, we can save the wings in time, I give you my word."

"No. In light of recent events, this may be what's best for my son. This might be the only way to save him," Warren Sr. said, convinced in his own words more than Dr. Adler. "Amputate the wings!"

"But, Mr. Worthington..." Dr. Adler exclaimed.

"Please, doctor," Warren Sr. said. "Amputate them!"

* * *

Elsewhere, Nathaniel Essex was watching the news broadcast of the attack on the pharmaceutical factory. Of course, it was hardly of any interest to him whatsoever. It was a battle royal of mutant mayhem that came after the attack that greatly intrigued Essex, particular certain members of the Brotherhood. All the same, Essex thoroughly enjoyed the image of chaos the erupted. He was sure that Multiple Man and Vertigo enjoyed it just as well. At least Multiple Man did, and Vertigo no so much. Speaking of whom, Vertigo and Multiple Man returned to the hideout. Essex quickly took notice of his associates' presence.

"Welcome back," Essex greeted. "I trust you've acquire that which I requested."

Multiple Man stepped up and exclaimed, "Yeah, we got 'em! They didn't put up much of a fight. Of course, what could they do if Vertigo's messing up their heads?"

Vertigo motioned to the entrance and slightly nudged her head. As she entered to room, two more sets of foot steps sounded. The footsteps turned out to belong to Quicksilver and Polaris, but it appeared that they were brainwashed, possibly by Vertigo. Essex was exceptionally pleased to have two members of the Brotherhood under his control. He stepped toward them, particularly toward Polaris. Essex rubbed the young mutant's left face cheek. Polaris didn't responded in any way, shape or form, nor did Quicksilver. A sinister grin crept across Essex's face and he turned to Vertigo.

"Well done, Vertigo," he exclaimed. "You've made me proud."

Feeling somewhat left out, Multiple Man said, "Hey, I helped too."

"Helped," Vertigo snapped. "You didn't lift a finger much less even create a copy of yourself."

"It doesn't matter either way. You've both brought what I need to open the final door," Essex said. "Prepare to depart. We make for Egypt."

"What's behind these doors you keeping talking about," Vertigo asked. "It must very important if you asked me to brainwash two sibling mutants."

"It's treasure, Vertigo," Multiple Man exclaimed. "We're gonna strike it rich, I promise you."

"We'll see, Multiple Man," Essex said, smiling that same twisted grin. Only he knew what was really behind the doors. "We'll see!"

* * *

Author's Note: We're getting closer to the big, official introduction of.... well, we all know by now, don't we? Don't forget to let me know what you think so far. Later!


	10. Dark Awakening

Disclaimer: Well, this is the moment we've been building up to since the beginning. This is also, I think anyway, the longest chapter to date. Yep, I was busy. Anyway, I don't own the rights to X-Men. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter X  
Dark Awakening

Warren very slowly opened his eyes. He felt completely exhausted, as if he went twelve rounds with a heavyweight boxer. Maybe he did in his mind! Warren couldn't seem to remember much of anything. He did recall the events at Roosevelt Island and being subsequently pursued by the authorities. Then he was violently shot out of the sky and then it all went black. But as his eyes regained some focus, Warren quickly realized he wasn't in his room at the Xavier Institute. In fact, he wasn't even _in_ the institute at all. Warren rubbed his weary eyes and tried to move his wings, only to realize that they weren't moving with him. Dread washed over Warren as he glanced to either side of his hospital bed, and he confirmed what he had already know. His wings were gone.

_He didn't,_ Warren thought as he quickly jumped out of the bed.

Warren came up to a full length mirror and gazed in horror at his wingless form. He turned around to look at his back. There were two large bandages exactly were his wings should've been. Warren frantically reached for the bandages and they were just out of reach. How could this have happened? When? It had to be Warren's father. There was no question about it. Warren grabbed his head in absolute horror, and he paced around the room. Then he finally snapped. Warren reached for the lone chair by the bed and threw it at the mirror, shattering the glass into pieces. It was enough to alert the hospital staff attending to Warren.

One nurse attempted to calm Warren down as best she could. "Mr. Worthington, you need to calm down."

Warren was even bothering to listen to the nurse. "Where is he," he shouted. "Where's my dad? Tell me right now!"

As if on cue, Warren Worthington II entered the room. "I'm right here, Warren!"

Warren pushed right passed the nurse, grabbed his father's suit and threw his against the wall. "What have you done," he demanded. "How could you do this to me?"

The elder Worthington could see tears welling in his son's eyes. "Warren, please, you need to understand. There was no other way. The cure wasn't ready yet."

"After I saved your life, you still wanted to use your damn cure on me," Warren shouted, and he threw his father to the door. "I was happy for the first time in my life, and you took it all away. And for what?"

"Warren, please understand," Warren Sr. pleaded. "I did this for you. All of it was for you."

"No, you did this for yourself," Warren shouted, even louder this time. "You never cared about me. All you ever cared about were you public relations and you cure. Get out of here!"

"Warren…" Warren Sr. continued to plead.

"I said get out," Warren screamed. "Get out of my sight. Get out of my life. You're dead to me, do you understand that? You are dead to me!"

Warren Sr. finally left the room as the doctors entered and sedated his only child. Out in the halls, the elder Worthington experienced a wave of emotional torment. Warren Sr. had never seen his own son so angry. He was, at the time of the amputation of Warren's wings, acting on the belief that he was helping him. In the end, Warren Sr. might've actually hurt his own son, to the point where Warren practically disowned his own father. Some very small part of Warren Sr. held out some hope that Warren would thank him one day. That was, of course, very far from likely.

* * *

"So, how's our guest, Hank?" Ororo asked Hank, who was busy overlooking the unconscious Carol Danvers.

"Well, physically, our esteemed guest is perfectly healthy, with no external damage except for some minor bruising," Hank said, before holding an x-ray of Carol's brain. "However, the power transfer she experienced with Rouge has apparently shorted out her cerebral functions."

"You mind saying that again in English?" asked a rather confused Logan.

Hank sighed, "She's comatose!"

"Oh, I knew that!" Logan quipped, much to Hank's amusement.

Emma was also present in the infirmary, having been asked by Hank to be there. "I've attempted to scan her mind in hopes of reaching her consciousness, but the results have been stagnant at best."

Ororo glanced at Danvers, and she almost felt sorry for her. "Any idea when she'll come out of her coma?"

"It's very hard to say." Emma said.

Hank added, "It could days, weeks or even years before she wakes up. In fact, she might never wake up for all we know."

"Damn! I thought my brain was screwed up." Logan commented.

Ororo glanced at Logan with vague amusement. "Well, I guess there isn't much more we can do for her, aside from keeping her comfortable."

"Indeed," Hank agreed. "Now, there's something else we need to discuss. I assume you're all familiar that artifact stolen by Multiple Man."

"We remember it," Ororo confirmed. "Why, Hank?"

Hank turned on a nearby computer screen, showing a simulated image of the amulet. "I've been studying the amulet and I can now confirm that it dates as far back as 3000 years, maybe more," Hank pushed a button and the screen zoomed on the edges of the amulet. "See the glyphs?"

Ororo looked a bit closer at the screen and stated, "They look to be Egyptian, but some of them I don't recognize."

"I've had that same issue," Hank admitted. "But I was able to translate some of the glyphs and they state; _by the power of this amulet, the second of three shall open._ It doesn't make much sense after that, but there's some reference to an En Sabah Nur."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Emma stated. "But I believe En Sabah Nur loosely translates in English into The First One."

"I've come to that very same conclusion," Hank agreed. "But the term could very well refer to anything, or anyone for the matter."

"So, what the hell does Multiple Man want with a dusty old relic?" Logan asked.

"To be honest, Logan," Hank said. "I'm not so sure it was Multiple Man who wanted the amulet."

* * *

Remy roamed throughout the institute, taking in the various sights and sounds that came with it. It amazed him just how large the institute was. It was certainly a step up from living in the Louisiana bayou. Of course, Remy was merely a guest, albeit an uninvited one. At least he was given an actual bedroom as opposed to the holding cell. Remy spent much his roaming going through the various rooms, stopping just shy of the recreation room. There were various students doing various activities, some lounging around, some playing games and some studying. Remy smirked at the sight and then kept roaming. He passed through several classrooms, the main hall and finally reached the kitchen. Remy decided he needed a drink and he opened the refrigerator, being careful not to blow it up. He found some orange juice, milk, soda but no sign of the one beverage Remy wanted.

"What the hell," he wondered. "Don't they got beer in this place?"

"What're you doin'?" A voice asked.

Remy was so startled that he hit the back of his head on the door jam. He looked for the person who startled him and found Rogue. "You scared the gumbo outta me, petite."

Rogue ignored the comment from the Cajun and stated, "You ain't gonna find any beer. This is a school, ya know."

Remy closed the door and said, "So I noticed. I'm surprised to see you up and about. Word in the halls is that you got yourself a little upgrade. Would you care to share some of that with your number one Cajun?"

A sly, almost wicked little smile crept across Rogue's face. She did indeed go through a very interesting transformation recently. Then there was Remy LeBeau. Rogue wasn't sure what to make of it all, but something about the Cajun intrigued her. Remy just seemed to have that swagger about him. He seemed confident, so sure of himself. It was a trait that Rogue never had in the past until recently, nor ever experienced with Bobby. Remy was certainly charming, if a little bit arrogant. Rogue knew what wouldn't if she _shared_ anything with the Cajun. Remy must've known that too, which led to Rogue needed to respond to his question.

"If I did that, you'd fly right through that window." she stated.

Remy glanced at the window behind him and smirked Rogue. "What's stoppin' ya, petite? You worried I might get hurt?"

"I'm worried you might come back for more." Rogue commented.

"Oh, you are a feisty southern belle," Remy quipped, all the while slowly closing the distance between himself and Rogue. "I like it!"

"How would you know if I were from the south?" Rogue asked, her curiosity peaked.

Remy inched his face closer to Rogue's and whispered, "Trust me! Remy LeBeau know a southern belle when he see one. Maybe one of these days, I can give you a tour of Bourbon Street. What say you to that, cherie?"

"I say keep dreamin' swamp rat!" Rogue said, and she smiled at Remy.

"Then dream I shall!" Remy said.

After that exchange, Rogue walked out of the kitchen and into the hall. Remy remained in the kitchen, cocking an eyebrow in amusement. Soon after, Remy returned to the hall just in time to catch Rogue already halfway ahead. Rogue turned back and glanced at Remy, still smiling. Remy smiled back and then took a bow.

"You'll be back, cherie," Remy called out. "The ladies always come back to Remy."

* * *

Walking down the hospital hall, Jubilee could feel the wary glances of patients and doctors on her. That was understandable considering that she was a mutant. At least she wasn't alone. Kitty and Bobby were accompanying her to visit Warren. They hadn't heard from him or of him for the passed day or so, at least, not until Emma telepathically contacted Warren. Jubilee didn't need to be psychic to know something was very wrong. She stopped by the door leading into Warren's room and knocked.

"Warren, it's Jubilee! I'm here with Bobby and Kitty," no answer came from inside the room. "Look, we're going to come in, okay?"

Jubilee gently turned the door knob and then slowly opened the door. Feeling somewhat cautious, Jubilee quietly peaked into the room. She saw that the bed was vacant. The first thing that crossed her mind was that Warren had died, or was in another room. Kitty noticed the broken mirror and directed Bobby and Jubilee to look it. Then Jubilee spotted Warren leaning against the window, and she held her hands to her mouth upon seeing the two bandages where his wings used to be. Warren glanced back at his friend, a blank expression on his face.

"Hi guys!" he stoically greeted.

"Oh man, Warren!" Bobby exclaimed.

"What'd they do to you," Kitty asked, shocked. "Did they use the cure on you?"

Warren went right back to gazing out the window. "They did worse!"

Kitty's eyes widen as she exclaimed, "You mean, they cut them off?"

"I can't believe this, Warren," Bobby stated. "How could this happen? Why would they do this to you?"

"It's my father," Warren snapped. "He pretty much proved he was more concerned with his public image than his own son."

Jubilee approached Warren and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find a way, Warren. You'll get your wings back, I promise. You're still an X-Man!"

Warren pulled away from Jubilee and shouted, "You don't get it! I'm nothing without my wings, and I'm sure as hell not an X-Man."

Jubilee looked about to break into tears. "But Warren…"

"Just…" Warren came dangerously close to snapping before calming down. "I'm sorry, Jubilee. You have to go now. I'm not Angel anymore."

Jubilee wanted to stay, needed to stay with Warren but knew that was unwise. She left the room with Kitty right behind her. Bobby was the last to leave the room and he glanced back at his friend. He wanted to something but was clearly in the dark as what he could say. Bobby simply shook his head and closed the door on his way out. Out in the hall, Bobby found Kitty trying to console a weeping Jubilee.

* * *

Elsewhere, Nathaniel Essex led his compatriots down into the tomb he long since uncovered. Multiple Man was too busy looking at the wall to watch where he was going, almost tripping on his own two feet. Vertigo took up the rear, using her powers to control the brainwashed Quicksilver and Polaris. She was as much in the dark as the much less intelligent Multiple Man as to why Essex needed the two sibling mutants. It could've been any number of reasons. Only Nathaniel knew as he stopped just short of the massive door, the third and final door.

"This is it?" Multiple Man wondered, sounding rather unimpressed.

"This is it," Essex responded with the same words, and then he turned to Vertigo. "Vertigo, if you would my dear, have our guests open the door."

Vertigo didn't know what to make of the door and quite frankly didn't care. Using her mind bending powers, Vertigo moved Quicksilver and Polaris to the door. The two mutants looked at each other blankly, and then they each placed one hand into two depressions on the door. A series of tiny grooves lit and then Quicksilver and Polaris turned the depressions, one going clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Multiple Man slowly approached Essex, who happened to be smirking.

"Why do we need the kids anyway?" he asked.

"These children are siblings, and this door required the DNA signature of two mutant siblings to open it," Essex explained. "Did I mention that their father happened to be Erik Lehnsherr?"

Multiple Man glared at Essex in astonishment. "You mean, Magneto? I didn't even know he had kids."

Without glancing at Multiple Man, Essex stated, "Nor did Magneto himself!"

Essex continued to smile as the sibling mutants finished their task. On a mental whim from Vertigo, Quicksilver and Polaris stepped back. As before, a tremor began and caused debris to fall from the ceiling. Essex and company watched as the massive door opened before them. Vertigo's mental grip on Quicksilver and Polaris faded and the siblings fell to the ground unconscious. The tremor subsided as the door fully opened, revealing the next area to be a very dimly lit chamber. Essex led his compatriots into the chamber, where they noticed that the dimly was not from any torches, but from the walls. Thousands upon thousands of bizarre looking glyphs lined the walls, which Vertigo examined thoroughly.

"I know Egyptian when I see it," she said. "And this isn't Egyptian. It looks… almost alien."

"What, you mean like E.T.?" Multiple Man stupidly asked, earning a glare Vertigo.

Essex meanwhile had found that which he sought upon entering the chamber. At the very center of the chamber stood four obelisks, all littered with more of the alien glyphs. Between the obelisks rested an oval shaped object, like an alien sarcophagus also cover with the glyphs. Essex examined the sarcophagus and found a small triangle shaped depression. He reached into his coat pocket, pulled a similarly shaped device and placed it into the depression. Essex stepped back.

"So, now what?" Multiple Man asked.

"Wait for it!" Essex assured his compatriot.

The three waited for something to happen, and then another tremor began, this one larger than the last. Then a series of brilliant blue lights shot out from the triangle to the obelisks and then to the sarcophagus. Ultimately, the entire chamber was light with a brilliant, yet blinding light. It forced Multiple Man and Vertigo to shield their eyes, while Essex looked on smiling. He could see the sarcophagus beginning to open. Outside of the chamber, Quicksilver began to stir. He held his head as if he'd awoken from a horrible dream before he spotted Polaris still on the ground. Quicksilver crawled to Polaris, cradling her in his arms.

"Polaris! Lorna, wake up!"

Polaris was thankfully stirred from her slumber and saw Quicksilver. She knew immediately than something was wrong. "Pietro, what's happening? Where are we?"

Before Quicksilver could answer, he managed a brief look into the chamber where noticed a glowing hand emerging from the sarcophagus. "I don't know, but we're getting out of here."

Quicksilver cradled Polaris in his arms and sped out of the tomb as fast as he could manage. Meanwhile, Essex and company watched a glowing figure emerge from the sarcophagus. The figure was levitating off the ground, bathed in an ethereal light, sporting unnaturally long raven hair and dressed in what could only be Egyptian garb. Essex's smile grew to an inhuman length as the figure floated upright in the air. Multiple Man and Vertigo backed away in terror as the figure floated to the ground before them. Only Nathaniel Essex remained fixed where he stood.

Essex lowered to one knee to greet the demigod-like figure. "I am called Nathaniel Essex, and I live to serve to you, En Sabah Nur; my lord Apocalypse!"

The figure known as En Sabah Nur said nothing, needing not say anything. He simply stood silent and still and unmoving. The ethereal glow ceased and exposed his grayish face. Then, as would a newborn child, En Sabah Nur opened his eyes for the time. His eyes were a menacing crimson red that could pierce the soul of any who dared to face him. And they did just that!

* * *

Miles away from Egypt and all the way back in New York, Emma Frost suddenly awoke. Her bed sheets were practically drenched in sweat, her platinum blonde hair in a mess and her breathing rendered shallow. Emma, being a telepath and a powerful one at that, instantly knew what had happened. She knew it was something terrible, that it felt wrong and it left her speechless and petrified beyond belief. Emma knew right then and there that something had awakened, and it scared her to no end.

* * *

Author's note: There you go, peeps. He's finally here, and this is just the beginning. Let me know what you think so far.


	11. Fallen Angel

Disclaimer: It's official: I'm completely hooked on Mass Effect 2, which has nothing to do with X-Men, which I do not own. Go figure! Anyway, here's the next chapter so enjoy, you little dingbats. (maniacal laughing) I'm just kidding! Maybe!

* * *

Chapter XI  
Fallen Angel

Logan was less than thrilled about being woken up in the middle of the night. At least it wasn't as torturous as enduring another nightmare of Jean's death. Logan quickly spotted Ororo up ahead of him and he rushed after her. If it wasn't Ororo who made the announcement to meet in lower level's War room, then it had to be either Hank or Emma. Logan caught up with Ororo, who quickly took notice his presence.

"Any idea what's going on?" Ororo asked without slowing her pace.

Logan kept the pace with the Weather Witch and answered, "No idea, but I'd bet my claws Frost has something to do with it."

"Figures," Ororo coldly exclaimed. "I knew she'd be trouble."

Without slowly, Logan and Ororo entered the elevator to the lower levels below the school. By the time the reached the lower levels, the two X-Men very quickly moved through the halls and into the War room. As expected, Emma was waiting there along with Hank. It was then that Ororo noticed the disheveled state of Emma. She appeared as if she'd been physically abused and her face was buried in her hand.

"Hank, there'd better be a damn good reason the wake up call." Logan spat.

"I'd like to say there was, but I was called down to the War room myself," Hank pointed out, and then turned to Emma. "Emma, I assume you have a reason for the call."

Emma didn't answer at first, though she did revealed her face. She took a deep breath and finally explained, "I felt an extremely strong surge of psychic energy; it almost tore my mind apart."

"Wait, you said psychic energy," Logan asked. "As in a telepath?"

"Yes, but it was more powerful than anything I'd ever encountered," Emma said. "I doubt even Prof. Xavier could've handled it."

"Who or what could possibly be powerful than Xavier," Ororo asked. "Jean was the only Class 5 mutant who could ever surpass him. Are you telling us there's someone stronger than Class 5?"

"At the risk of sounding incredibly blunt, yes," Emma snapped. "As for who or what, your guess is as good as mine."

* * *

While it was the middle of the night in the states, the sun was rising over the swirling sands of Egypt. A figure stood silent atop one of the pyramids. En Sabah Nur had remained in deep slumber for 3000 years, waiting to be awakened. That day had finally come, for he now stood overlooking the Egyptian landscape and still dressed in Egyptian garb and his long raven hair flowing in the wind. Nur wasn't actually watching the sunrise, for his eyes were kept closed. He could sense others like himself; mutants all around the globe. There were so many powerful mutants in various parts of the world, and some not so powerful. Nur opened his eyes, his gaze piercingly frightening for any who gazed back. From behind, Nathaniel Essex cautiously approached Nur with Vertigo and Multiple Man in tow. Feeling brazen, Essex took a stance beside the silent mutant whom the ancient Egyptians came to call Apocalypse. Apocalypse said nothing, instead only glancing at Essex and without even turning his face. Essex cringed, for he could feel Apocalypse in his mind and could hear his voice.

"Yes, Lord Apocalypse," Essex said, his breathing shallow. "Much has changed during your 3000 year slumber. Mutants now walk the Earth, just as you predicted so long ago."

Apocalypse didn't say one word or even flinch, nor did he need to. He would instead communicate with Essex through telepathy. _"You are not one who carries the X-Gene, yet I sense great power within you."_

Essex could feel the ancient mutant's voice piercing through his mind. "Mutants have fascinated me for decades, to the point where I wished to become one. Perhaps, even create the ultimate mutant!"

_"That remains to be seen, Essex,"_ Apocalypse said through his telepathic link. _"During my slumber, I have dreamed of a world ruled by my kind. Now that I have been awakened, I sense only weakness. It is something I shall not allow to continue."_

Multiple Man cautiously approached the seemingly omnipotent mutant and said, "So, just out of curiosity, do I finally get my reward? I mean, I did my part," no answer came from Apocalypse. He didn't even glance at Multiple Man, who was proving annoying. "Can you even hear me? I want my reward!"

Then Multiple Man made the biggest mistake of his life by slapping Apocalypse on his arm. Apocalypse quickly glared at Multiple Man, whose smile evaporated in a split second. Then Apocalypse's entire body took on an ethereal glow and levitated off the ground. Multiple Man didn't know what he did to anger the godlike mutant, but clearly it wasn't a smart move. Apocalypse levitated above the terrified mutant and then outstretched his right arm. Multiple Man didn't know what was to happen next until Apocalypse flexed a single finger. Multiple Man suddenly felt himself unable to move or even use his powers in any way. Apocalypse turned his hand, palm facing up and then psychically lifted Multiple Man in the air. Multiple Man was totally defenseless and unable to move, as if an anaconda trapped him in its vice grip. Apocalypse then effortlessly closed his hand and then in a split second, Multiple Man disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. There wasn't even a single trace of him, as if he never existed. He never even had a chance to scream. Vertigo looked on in shock and awe, and then noticed Apocalypse glaring right at her. She immediately feared that Apocalypse would do the same to her, to the point that she fell backward to the ground. Ultimately, Vertigo was ignored but that did little to stem the overwhelming fear inside of her.

Apocalypse returned to the ground next to Essex, whose own expression remained unchanged. _"Essex, you shall bring to me a new servant."_

A smile crept across Essex's face. "I think I have the perfect one."

* * *

Warren couldn't sleep, nor was he lying in his hospital bed. Rather, he sat at the edge on the bed, staring blankly at the window. He spent the passed twenty-some-odd hours contemplating the consequences of his action. What would his friends think if he'd gone through with it? Jubilee. How would she react? Warren brushed his hand through his hair and then reached behind to where his wings used to be. He looked toward the window again and a tear streamed down his face. Warren knew what he was going to do, and that was the reason he opened the window. He felt the cool breeze across his face as he looked down toward the street below. He hesitated, contemplated and ultimately decided that this was the only way.

Warren whispered to himself, "I'm so sorry, Jubilee."

Suddenly, a voice sounded from the shadows of the room, "Are you so desperate to end it all, Angel?"

Warren quickly turned around and asked, "Who's there?"

The room was filled with tense silence as Nathaniel Essex stepped out of the shadows. "It would be such a waste to take your own life. You've so much potential, Angel. Why throw away your life?"

Warren didn't have the slightest idea of who this man was, and he couldn't bring to care. "Angel? I don't deserve that name, and I don't deserve to live like this," Warren turned away from Essex and back to the window. "Now go away!"

Instead of leaving, Essex came moved closer to Warren. "It needn't end this way, Warren. Suppose I told you that you could regain what was taken from you. That, you might yet once again know the freedom for which you hunger. C'mon Warren; don't you want to be able to fly again?"

Warren stopped dead even as he had one foot on the windowsill. Something about this man made him deeply nervous. But he was also curious. Why? Warren didn't know Essex, but Essex seemed to know Warren. Warren should've ignored Essex and jumped out the window; just ended it. Instead, he simply pulled his foot from the windowsill and faced Essex.

"Can you really help me?" Warren asked.

Essex cocked an eyebrow and smirked. "Well, that depends. Are you willing to do whatever it takes?"

Warren began to shudder and said, "I'd give anything to fly again. I can't live without my wings."

Essex's grin widened as he mused, "So be it!"

* * *

Jubilee sprinted throughout the halls of the institute, nearly knocking into a couple of students. She needed to talk to someone quickly. Hank, Ororo, Emma or anybody she could find. Moving through the halls, Jubilee ended up running into Remy of all people. The momentum almost threw both mutants to the floor but Remy was able to catch himself. Jubilee was in his arms and breathing heavily.

"Careful, petite," Remy urged the frantic teen. "What's the big hurry?"

"I need to find someone, one of the teachers," Jubilee frantically said. "It's really important."

Remy stopped and thought for a moment and then said, "Well, I believe that big ol' blue guy be in the next room down that hall and… hey!"

Remy couldn't finish as Jubilee pushed passed him and continued down the hall. Though it shouldn't have been his problem, Remy went after Jubilee. It must've been very serious if she was in that big a hurry. Jubilee reached the room in which it was believed Hank McCoy was residing. Without so much as a thought of whether or not a class was going on, Jubilee burst through the door. The action startled Hank, as well as Emma and Ororo. Remy just caught up to Jubilee, while Hank stood up and approached Jubilee.

"Jubilee, are you alright?" Ororo asked without leaving her seat.

"No…" Jubilee panted. "It's… it's Warren! He's…" Jubilee could hardly catch her breath, needing to lean in the doorway.

Hank took the teen mutant by her shoulders. "Calm down, Jubilee. Take a deep breath and collect your thoughts," Hank removed his hand, allowing Jubilee to calm down, which she did. "Now, from the beginning, tell us what's wrong."

Jubilee took another moment before telling Hank, "Warren's missing! I called the hospital this morning, and they told me that he wasn't in his room. They said there wasn't any indication that he'd left the building. He was just gone."

"Hold up a sec…" Remy exclaimed. "How's a guy just disappear from a hospital," Remy's errantly stupid question earned him a sharp glance from all in the room. "What?!"

Ororo ignored Remy and turned to Emma. "Frost, can you locate Warren?"

Emma nodded and said, "Depending on his current whereabouts, that shouldn't be too difficult."

Emma rested her fingers to her head and concentrated hard. Even without the use of Cerebro, she shouldn't have had any trouble finding Warren. Jubilee sat down on a couch opposite Emma, while Remy stood behind that same couch. Emma concentrated harder, and her telepathy allowed her to search everywhere within New York, starting from Manhattan General. She scanned the minds of various humans going through the daily grind, and then the mind of other mutants on and below the streets. Emma increased her efforts, hoping that it would result in Warren's location. She found him, apparently strapped down to some sort of table. There appeared to be others there as well; two mutants and one human. The female was barely a Class 3 mutant, but the other one… he knew Emma was in his mind. Emma suddenly felt herself forcibly thrown back into reality, and she collapsed to the floor in front of the others. She was breathing hard, as if she'd been thrown from an out of control vehicle. Hank and Ororo were quick to help the telepath back up.

"What happened?" Ororo asked.

"I felt it again, the above Class 5 psychic energy. I could only sense it briefly, but," Emma wheezed before her eyes widen in shock. "Oh my God!"

Emma stood up and paced frantically around the room, to which Hank asked, "What is it, Emma? What did you see?"

Emma covered her mouth to keep from hyperventilating and then turned to the group. "Not what; who!"

Ororo was growing frustrated. "Alright, who then? Don't play with us, Emma. Who did you see?"

Emma wasn't sure if she could answer at all, and she was actually scared. Terrified was she, but Emma uttered one word through the fear, "Apocalypse!"

* * *

Warren was understandably weary of everything around him. He didn't even have an idea of where Essex had brought. He looked around, first looking straight up at the series of lights beaming down on him. Warren tried to get a look at his surrounding back all that was there was pitch black darkness. But he did hear footsteps in the darkness. Essex emerged from the shadow much like he had back at the hospital. Warren never once removed his glare at the man and then he felt the table on which he rested rise from the floor. He knew Essex wasn't the only one in the room. There was someone else, but Warren couldn't tell who it was through the darkness. Only, that it was a very powerful mutant. At least Warren thought he was a mutant.

Warren looked at Essex. "I have to know; will my wings be exactly like they used to be?"

Essex smirked at the query. "Oh, you have nothing to worry about, Warren. Your wings will not only be returned to you, but they'll be far more spectacular than you could ever imagine. Just… don't move!"

Warren was scared to death, and rightfully so. Something about Essex and the mysterious mutant hiding in the darkness, sent shivers down his spine. Then Warren felt the table rise and then turn over. A series of metal tubes emerged from the shadows and connected to the table. As Warren stared helplessly down at the cold metal floor, he had no earthly idea what would happen next. In the shadows, Essex flipped a number of switches and the machine to which the tubes were connected went live. Warren still didn't know what was happening. He couldn't see a silvery liquid flow through each of the tubes and slowly into his body. But he did feel it. It felt wrong. Warren's entire body tensed and knotted up as the liquid seeped beneath his flesh.

"What's happening," Warren cried. "What're you… doing to me?"

"Relax, Warren," Essex assured the frightened Warren. "It will all be over in time."

More of the liquid seeped into the Warren's body, and Warren trembled in fear and confusion. He struggled under the pressure. He screamed in agony. He felt as if his entire body was about to burst like a dam. He focused on something pleasant to counteract the agonizing pain. The first thing that came to mind was Jubilee. She was the one person that Warren cared about the most. He wanted her. Needed her. Then nothing! Warren's mind was going blank with every passing second. Every memory of his life seemed to fade away, except for the trial and tribulations of the passed few days. He remembered his wings being taken from him, all thanks to his father. All because of him! Warren screamed and cried and moaned, and then he fell silent. The pain seemed to fade out and Warren felt himself at an eerie peace. He felt his mind become clear and calm, and yet cold and calculating. Focused and ultimately filled with a desire for death. The process ended as quickly as it began and the table was turned back to its original position. Essex shut off the machine and the clamps on the table opened. Warren fell to the floor. It should've felt cold to the skin, but Warren didn't seem to feel it, nor did he seem to care. Then he underwent a frightening transformation. His skin became almost a pale blue and his eyes becoming silver. Most frightening of all, wings began to emerge from Warren's back. Only, they weren't natural. They were metallic and were spread wide apart. Footsteps were heard and a massive figure emerged from the shadow. The Egyptian garbed goliath stood before the altered Warren, and Warren knelt before the figure.

In a newly focused and eerily icy tone, Warren said to the figure, "I live to serve you, Lord Apocalypse."

Apocalypse said nothing, so Essex stepped forward to speak for him. "Apocalypse welcomes you, Angel."

"That name no longer holds meaning for me," Warren coldly said as he stood tall and spread his newly metallic wings. "I am now Archangel, and I will reign death upon those who stand against the might of Apocalypse."

* * *

Author's note: You simply can't have Apocalypse without Archangel, and there you go! For those of you who are wondering if Apocalypse will take on his iconic cyborg form, well, I'm not telling. You're gonna have to keep reading to find out. And a few reviews would be nice, too.


	12. On Vengeful Wings

Disclaimer: I'm surprised. I thought I get fewer reviews than what I've received. Not that I'm complaining because I appreciate the support. Thanks, guys. You're awesome. As usual, I hold no claim whatsoever to X-Men. All the property of Marvel Comics!

* * *

Chapter XII  
On Vengeful Wings

A long time ago, Warren Worthington III would've been terrified of what he'd become. He was terrified, when his wings emerged for the first time in his younger days. As he matured, he grew fond of his mutation. Then, it was all taken from him. Warren was naturally despondent, but then someone came to him and offered to make him whole. So, Warren stood alone under a single spotlight, within an otherwise pitch black room. But he wasn't the same man he should've been. His wings were returned to him as promise, but they were metallic now. His skin had been turned into a plan blue. Most insulting of all, Warren's mind had been altered, and his emotions all but erased. He only felt hatred now. Hatred, for those that had wronged him. They would suffer greatly, this much Warren knew. Footsteps were heard in the blackness and Essex emerged.

Essex stood just a couple of feet from Warren. "So, how do you feel, Warren?"

"I feel stronger than I've ever been in my life," Warren answered, his tone ice cold. "Yet, I feel overwhelming anger towards those who stood against me," Warren turned toward Essex, in the process spreading his metallic wings apart. "I feel the desire for vengeance, and against the one person who stole my life."

Essex rubbed his chin and smirk. "An angel of vengeance! I like that, Warren."

Warren, as if acting on pure impulse, swung his wings around. A series of metallic spears, like feathers shot out and became embedded into the walls. "That is not my name." he shouted.

"Of course not! Where are my manners," Essex chuckled. "So Archangel, if it's vengeance you seek, far be it for me to stand in the way."

Archangel turned away from Essex and coldly announced, "No one will stand in my way."

"Just be aware that you've made a commitment to serve our Lord Apocalypse," Essex pointed out. "You'd be wise to remember that."

Archangel didn't appear to show any signs of caring. Essex stepped back as Archangel spread his metallic wings and took to the air. In moments, Archangel soared straight up through a skylight and quickly disappeared into the night. Essex wickedly smiled at his handiwork and glanced over at Vertigo. Vertigo had been more apprehensive as of late. It wasn't because of Essex or Archangel, but of the presence of Apocalypse. She saw what the ancient mutant did to Multiple Man, and she wasn't in any hurry to test the limits of Apocalypse's powers. Or his patience! Apocalypse knew of Vertigo's fear and cared little of it, instead approaching Essex. Essex glanced at the mutant warlord, as if looking for some semblance of approval. Apocalypse gave no such indication and instead simply remained silent and indifferent.

* * *

Logan and Ororo waited for Emma to emerge out of Cerebro. Jubilee was with them and passing back and forth. Ororo could understand her concern. Logan was more or less just trying to endure the sight of Jubilee's movement. She was making him dizzy. If she wasn't careful, she'd probably dig her own trench. At least that was what Logan thought. Emma eventually emerged from Cerebro, with her arm crossed and a disturbed look on her face. Jubilee stopped dead in her tracks and quickly approached Emma.

"Did you find him?" she asked.

Emma nodded only slightly and explained, "Yes, but..." Emma trailed off.

Ororo was confused. "But what? Don't play with us, Emma."

"It seems as though Warren's been altered." Emma explained.

Ororo and Logan exchanged confused looks and then Logan asked, "What the hell does that mean? Altered how?"

"I don't know how," Emma said, shaking her head. "But it might have something to do with Apocalypse and someone name Nathaniel Essex."

"You mentioned Apocalypse before," Ororo pointed out. "Who is he anyway?"

Jubilee suddenly cut right into the discussion. "Who cares? We've got to find Warren. Ms. Frost, please tell me you know where to find him."

"Warren's airborne and unless my telepathy is off, he's headed for Worthington Tower." Emma said.

"That clinches it," Logan said. "I'm going after him."

Logan was on his way off but Jubilee followed him. "Not without me, you're not!"

"Not a chance in hell, Jubilee," Logan said. "It may be too dangerous."

Jubilee stepped right in front of Logan and spat, "I don't care. Warren needs me and I won't abandon him. He'd do the same thing for me, so I'm going and you can't stop me."

Logan wouldn't dare show it, but he was impressed with Jubilee. Ororo cut in and said, "Look, both of you go find Warren," Ororo turned to Emma and said, "Emma and I will go speak to Hank. We'll try to find out anything and everything you can about Apocalypse and Essex."

Logan went on his way with Jubilee in tow. "Are we taking the Velocity again?" she asked.

"Hell no! We'd stick out like a sort thumb," Logan pointed out. "Let's try something a little less conspicuous."

* * *

A few minutes later, Logan was on the road on his motorcycle with Jubilee holding on for dear life. She shouted, "This is your idea of less conspicuous?"

"Would you rather be shot out of the sky?" Logan shouted back.

Jubilee simply and mockingly answered, "At this point, yes!"

* * *

Warren Sr. paced around his office for what seemed to like forever. There was no word on the whereabouts of his son. The elder Worthington was questioning himself on every action he'd taken since the Legacy cure was announced. The cure was set to become available to the general public in one week's time. Warren Sr. wondered if it was right to force his cure on the mutant community. Then his son came to mind. Was he justified in his decision to amputate Warren's wings? Warren Sr. seemed less and less convinced with every passing second. He looked out the window and imagined Warren soaring in the evening sky. Warren Sr. sighed and as he turned away for only a moment, a shadow moved passed the window. What was that? Warren Sr. may have been losing his mind a little bit but he became generally uneasy. He turned away again, perhaps preparing to leave. Then the window exploded in a shower of shards and Warren Sr. was thrown to the floor. Warren Sr. attempted to look for the source of the explosion and was confronted by a metal winged figure entering the office.

"Surprise to see me, Dad?" The figure snarled.

Warren Sr. was astonished and easily recognized the voice. "My God! Warren, is that you?"

Warren grasped his father and slammed into the wall. "You don't get call me that, not anymore," he snarled and then dragged Warren Sr. to the broken window. "You ruined my life, so it's only fair that I end yours."

"Warren, please," Warren Sr. begged and pleaded. "I only wanted to help you."

"You shut up, old man," the crazed mutant shouted. "My name is Archangel now, and nothing you tell me is going to save you."

Archangel lifted Warren Sr. higher and held over the edge. Before he could follow through, three security guards entered the office. They aimed their guns at mutant intruder and opened fire. Archangel used one of his new metallic wings to block the gunfire and then literally tossed Warren Sr. right into the guards. Archangel stood tall against the guards as they continued firing on him. The bullets bounced off the metallic wings. They didn't even leave dents. Archangel spread his wings wide apart and then in one swift motion, unleashed metal feathers upon the guards. Two guards fell dead, while the third ordered Warren Sr. to escape. Archangel slashed through the one remaining guard and then went after his wayward father. He found Warren Sr. attempting to call an elevator. Warren Sr. looked toward Archangel, noticing that he was taking his time getting to him. He wasn't even attempting to fly. The elevator arrived right on time and Warren Sr. rushed in, hitting the first floor button. Archangel reached the elevator doors as they closed began using his wing to pry them open. Another guard attempted in vain to stop him, and Archangel made quick work of him. He returned to prying he doors open and succeeded, just in time to spot the elevator halfway to the bottom floor. Archangel jumped down the shaft and dove after the elevator. Inside, Warren Sr. felt the elevator rumble and then a metallic wing was thrust right through the ceiling. Another wing sliced through, this one almost skewering the elder Worthington. Once the elevator reached the bottom floor, Warren Sr. rushed out and ran for his life. Archangel tore through the ceiling and stormed out into the lobby after his target.

"You can't escape me, Dad," Archangel shouted. "I will catch you and make you wish you weren't born."

Warren Sr. may not have been paying attention, as he was desperate to get away from his pursuer. Archangel spread his wings and took off after Warren Sr. More security guards attempted to shoot down the flying mutant. From midair, Archangel shot more metal feathers and killed them instantly. Warren Sr. made it out of the lobby to the street, but Archangel literally flew through the glass doors. Archangel through Warren Sr. to the ground hard before confronting him in the street.

"Warren, you don't have to do this!" he pleaded.

Archangel, not listening to his wayward fathers' pleas and grasped his throat. "You brought this on yourself," Archangel spoke the word with overwhelming malice. "I'm going to take my time making you suffer."

"Warren," Warren Sr. begged under each breath. "I'm sorry."

"Too late for apologies," Archangel snarled and reared one wing back for the killing blow. "Goodbye, Dad!"

Before Archangel could follow through, a familiar voice shouted, "Warren," Jubilee arrived with Logan behind her. "My God! Warren, what's happened to you?"

Archangel shifted his eyes between his father and his friends. "This has nothing to do with you, Jubilee. Leave now!"

Logan stepped passed Jubilee and said, "Put him down, Angel!"

"Stay out of this, Logan," Archangel spat. "Or I'll come after you next."

"I don't wanna fight you, Angel," Logan announced, all the while unsheathing his claws. "So don't force me!"

Archangel wasn't listening anymore and prepared to finish off Warren Sr. Logan had no choice and lunge at his former teammate. The momentum took all three of them down to the street, and Warren Sr. rushed away. Archangel kicked Logan away and then took to the air. Logan quickly got to his feet and glanced to his side. He saw Jubilee pull Warren Sr. out of the way. At least they were safe. But the distraction cost Logan when Archangel pulled him off the ground. Archangel tossed Logan and he went flying back first into the windshield of an oncoming pickup truck. The whole front of the truck was destroyed, but at least Logan was able to heal. It still hurt like hell, though. Logan shook his head and spotted Archangel flying right toward him. There followed a barrage of metallic feathers, all of which aimed directly at Logan. Logan rolled of the destroyed truck seconds before the feathers became embedded into the truck. More projectiles came, most of which Logan blocked with his claws. He couldn't block all of them. One feather struck his shoulder and another flew passed his face and left a gash. Logan removed the first feather while his face healed and then he spotted Archangel attempting another flyby. This time, Logan was ready and as Archangel flew over him, Logan drove his claws into Archangel's right wing. Metal scraped against metal and Archangel crashed into the ground.

Logan glanced at his claw and then at Archangel's wings, and noted that neither suffered any damage. "Adamantium?"

Archangel was up right away and Logan went on the attack. Logan slashed relentlessly at Archangel, who blocked the attacks with his wings. This action prevented him from taking flight, so he stayed on the defensive. Logan kept slashing, trying to get through Archangel defenses but having little success. The metal was nearly as hard as his claws, thus confirming that the wings were composed of adamantium. Archangel found an opening and kicked Logan away and then shot more projectiles. Logan blocked the projectiles and lunged at Archangel again. This time, Archangel sidestepped Logan and slashed his back with his wings. Logan growled and quickly turned, only to be slashed across his chest. Then he was knocked hard to the ground, slamming his head into the street. Logan tried to get up but Archangel jammed his foot into Logan's throat, pinning him down.

"You shouldn't have tried to fight me, Logan." Archangel snarled.

"I was trying to stop you from doing something you'd regret." Logan said.

"You have no idea what I've lost," Archangel shouted. "My own father took everything away from me."

Logan attempted to break free and then shouted, "I've been there, Warren. I've lost everything, too. I've lost my past, my friends and I sure as hell don't wanna lose another one."

"We're not friends, not anymore!" Archangel snarled.

Jubilee stepped toward Archangel and shouted, "Listen to him, Warren. Whatever's happened, this isn't you."

"Stay out of this, Jubilee," Archangel shouted. "That man who claims to be my father needs to pay for what he's done."

"You're not a killer, Warren," Jubilee said, attempting to get closer to Archangel. "The X-Men can save you. Please!"

"You're too late," Archangel announced and reared his wings back. "I've already been saved."

Logan continued to get loose and defiantly snarled, "Let me guess; by Apocalypse, right?"

Archangel refused to speak anymore and prepared for the killing blow. Just as he went for the kill, Jubilee blew him away with a stream of sparks. Archangel hit the ground hard, his wings scraping across the asphalt. Archangel attempted to attack but Jubilee blasted him again. He tried again and again, and Jubilee repeatedly blasted him down. Archangel saw that it was a losing effort and took off into the sky. Jubilee stopped shooting once her former friend was out of range. Logan got up and retracted his claws and then stared amazed at Jubilee. Warren Sr. approached them and looked toward the sky. His heart became heavy with regret.

"Dear God, what have I done?" he wondered.

Jubilee glared at the elder Worthington and grabbed him and threw against a wall. "You lowlife piece of garbage; you know exactly what you've done. You ruined your own sons' life, and for what; your damn cure?"

Then Logan put his hand on Jubilee's shoulder and said, "Let it go, Jubilee. He's not worth the effort."

"Speak for yourself, Logan!" Jubilee snapped.

Logan sighed and said, "I was speaking for Warren."

Logan's words rang through Jubilee. She was so tempted to, not just blast Warren Sr. through the wall, but simply to beat him down with her bare hands. Jubilee glanced at Logan, and then back at Warren Sr. Logan wasn't usually the voice of reason but he knew what he was talking about. Finally, Jubilee released her grip on Warren Sr.

"You're getting off easy," she snapped. "I should finish you off, but the Warren I know wouldn't want me to." Jubilee stormed without another word.

Logan shot a menacing glare at Warren Sr. and said, "I hope you're happy with yourself."

"What," Warren Sr. said in confusion. "I never wanted any of this to happen. I just wanted what was best for my son."

"Bullshit," Logan snapped. "I don't know who you're trying to convince, but it's not me or Jubilee, and it sure as hell wasn't your own son."

Logan said no more after that and walked off. He climbed onto his motorcycle with Jubilee. Jubilee would not release her glare toward Warren Sr. even as she and Logan sped away. Warren Sr. leaned against the wall. He came to a startling realization; mutants may not be the real monsters. There were human monsters in the world, and Warren Worthington II was one of them.

* * *

The next, Warren Sr. stood outside Worthington Tower amid a sea of people and at a podium. "I've called this press conference today to announce that effective immediately, the release of the Legacy cure to the mutant community has postponed indefinitely."

Naturally, the news people were going to ask questions, and one said, "Mr. Worthington, this announcement is unexpected. Is this a direct result of the attack at your primary factory by the Brotherhood?"

Another news reporter asked, "What about the reports of an attack against you by an unknown assailant?"

Warren Sr. stopped and went silent and then simply answered, "I have no comment."

A third reporter asked, "What compelled to make this sudden decision?"

Again, Warren Sr. stalled, trying to come up with a legitimate answer. He finally said, "I set out to help the mutant community, most of have been described as freak and monsters. But then I realized that while there individuals that possess unique and often dangerous talents, they are still human beings and they have every right to live as such. To force any type on mutants begs the question: Who are the real monsters," Warren Sr. found himself battling back tears and then said, "Thank you for your time. No further questions."

As usual, the reporters wanted more answers and ad to be subdued by crowd control. Warren Sr. escaped back into his office, which was still a mess after the attack by his own son. Was that even his son at all? Warren Sr. looked out the shatter window and wondered if Warren was out there. One thing was already certain; nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

Author's note: If someone took my wings, I'd be pissed too. Anyway, that ends this chapter and there's more to come. Let me know what you think! Bye!


	13. Fated Encounters

Disclaimer: Here's yet another chapter in the story, and as always I don't own the rights to X-Men.

* * *

Chapter XIII  
Fated Encounters

_"Our top story this morning continues to be the announcement by Warren Worthington II of the canceled release of the Legacy cure. Precise details remain sketchy, although popular belief centers on the Brotherhood's recent attack may have played been a factor."_

"Well, I guess we can stop worrying about the cure." Domino exclaimed, all the while fixing one of her guns.

Pyro sat across from Domino, and his unhappy expression hadn't changed. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?"

"C'mon, Pyro! We very thoroughly thrashed that factory and stopped the cure's development," Domino said. "What more do you want?"

"I wanted to burn that factory right down to the ground, with every single human still inside," Pyro snapped and jumped out of his seat. "I'd of done just that if the X-Men hadn't gotten in the way."

"What's with you and them," Avalanche added, all while leaning against the far wall. "I mean, so what if the goody goods got involved. It's not like we we're any match for them."

Domino then added, "For the record, Pyro, you're the one who ordered the retreat anyway you look at it."

"Yeah, we could've stayed and fought," Avalanche said. "But you got cold feet and ditched."

Pyro didn't take kindly to the last remark and shot a fireball at Avalanche. The quake generating mutant was just able to duck out of the way. Domino looked on and wasn't all too surprised. Knowing the hotheaded Pyro like she did, nothing was capable of surprising her. From another corner, the ever silent Blink looked on indifferently. She could've teleported Avalanche out of harm's way, but she instead did nothing. Domino in the meantime finally stepped in and stopped Pyro from attempting to torch Avalanche.

"Don't get me wrong, Pyro; I've got no problem with you frying Avalanche, but we're short handed enough already," she reasoned. "I mean, Quicksilver and Polaris are still missing, in case you haven't noticed."

Pyro shut off his palm lighter and came face to face with Domino. "What makes you think I care? For all we know, they probably chickened out and took the cure for themselves."

"I don't believe that for one second," Domino said, standing up to Pyro. "They're still out there and I'm going to find them."

"Do what you want, Dom," Pyro defiantly said. "Don't come crying to me when you're thrown in a mutant holding cell to rot."

Domino said nothing else to Pyro and instead gathered her weapons to leave. Out of the whole Brotherhood, she was the only person to question Pyro on just about anything. Why not? Avalanche was really just a burly idiot and Blink mostly kept to herself. Obviously expecting that none of the other members were going to help, Domino was going to search for Quicksilver and Polaris on her own. She'd never show it, but she worried about the sibling mutants. Maybe they were out searching for Magneto. But why would they just up and vanish without a trace? Screw it! Domino was going to find the siblings come hell or high water. As she went to open the door, Domino was shocked to find Quicksilver at the entrance and with Polaris in his arms.

"Pietro?! Lorna?!"

"Dom!" Pietro exclaimed before dropping to the floor.

Domino acted quickly to snatch Lorna before she hit the floor. "They're here! I found them."

The rest of the Brotherhood showed and Pyro coldly exclaimed, "Well, that was quick!"

"Shut up and help me with them," Domino spat and turned to Pietro. "Pietro, where've you two been? C'mon, Pietro, talk to me!"

Pietro was having issues catching his breath. "We're in danger. Everyone is in danger!"

Avalanche approached the others and said, "No way, we put the cure out of commission. Score one for the Brotherhood!"

"Shut up, Avalanche!" Pyro snapped.

"It's not the cure," said an awakening Lorna. "It's something else. Something much worse!"

* * *

"I've managed to decipher more of the glyphs found on the amulet, much of which making reference to the origin of Apocalypse," Hank said as the other X-Men listened intently. "Frankly, it's both fantastic and disturbing."

"What did you find out?" Ororo asked.

"Well, Apocalypse started out as an infant who was found by a nomad warrior named Baal," Hank stated. "Baal raised the infant as his own and named him _En Sabah Nur_."

Emma, who was present among the others, added, "The First One! I believe we covered that."

"Exactly! Years after Nur came of age, Baal and his nomad clan were all killed by the forces of General Ozymandias," Hank continued on. "In retaliation, Nur unleashed his untapped mutant powers and eradicated Ozymandias. This brought the attention of the Pharaoh Rama-Tut, who enslaved Nur."

"Obviously, that didn't last long," Logan added. "I guess the Pharaoh learned the hard way that a caged animal can get angry."

"What happened next, Hank?" Ororo asked.

"It gets pretty hazy afterwards," Hank said. "But apparently, Nur murdered the Pharaoh and soon after discovered some sort of advanced technology hidden beneath the sands of Egypt. Where exactly remains a mystery."

"Great! Now we're right back to square one." Logan commented.

Emma however, shook her head and said, "Maybe not. Hank and I have also gathered some information on Nathaniel Essex."

"Apparently, Nathaniel Essex was a brilliant geneticist born sometime in the mid to late 19th Century." Hank explained.

Logan was confused, even shaking his head. "Wait a minute! How old is this guy?"

"No idea," Hank answered. "He may be as old as you are, Logan; perhaps even older."

"Here's where it becomes unusual," Emma added. "Essex may not actually be a mutant, but I did sense the X-Gene within him."

"It's likely that Essex had an interest in mutants that bordered on obsession," Hank said. "To the point where he experimented on himself."

"There is a silver lining though," Emma said. "I was able to pinpoint the location of Essex's lab. It's hidden beneath an abandoned warehouse just outside Manhattan."

"What the hell are we waiting for," Logan announced. "I say we hit 'em hard and fast."

"I'd advise against that," Hank pointed out. "We don't know the full extent of Apocalypse's powers."

"Maybe, but I'm in no mood to let what happened to Angel happen to anyone else." Logan.

"Okay, I'll get Bobby and Kitty," Ororo said. "Logan, you get the Velocity prepped and we'll meet you there."

With the discussion over, the X-Men went about preparations to confront Essex and Apocalypse. But most of the team, aside from Emma, was unaware that Remy was in the opposite room. He'd been eavesdropping the entire time. But why? Emma passed by the room in which Remy hid, knowing he was there, but made no effort to confront him.

* * *

Later on, Logan and Hank were prepping the Velocity to take off. They waited for Ororo to arrive with Bobby and Kitty. Hank looked out the cockpit windshield and noticed Emma entering the hanger. She was follow shortly by Ororo, Bobby and Kitty. Logan flipped a few switches here and there and the Velocity whirred to life. The rest of the team entered the vehicle and Ororo noticed the absence of Rogue and Jubilee.

"Where's Jubilee?" she asked.

"I doubt she's in the right frame of mind to help," Logan stated. "And I couldn't find Rogue anywhere."

"We'll have to go on without them." Hank concluded.

Bobby then said, "Logan, were you serious about Warren earlier?"

Logan stalled on the question before answering, "Yeah, Bobby. I was serious. Don't expect Warren to be happy to see you."

Bobby leaned back in his chair and sighed. He knew Warren better than anyone except for Jubilee. In any event, the Velocity hovered out of the hanger and into the sky. The afterburner flared up and propelled the Velocity toward its destination. But back in the school, Jubilee sat alone in her room, fighting back tears. She held in her hands, a photo of herself and Warren, his natural wings spread wide. Jubilee didn't know what to do. All she could do was hope that some of the old Warren was alive in that creature known as Archangel.

* * *

The Velocity reached the abandoned warehouse that was the supposed cover for Essex's lab and landed near the front entrance. The engines silenced and the X-Men exited out into the open. There were no signs of possible defenses. Perhaps the covered of abandonment was defense enough. No one would think of bothering to investigate such a dilapidated area. Wolverine wasn't too sure about that as he crouched down to the ground. He sniffed the air for any sort of abnormalities. Storm approached Wolverine as he was in the middle of tracking.

"Did you find anything?" she asked.

Logan took one last sniff and then said, "I thought I had a scent, but it's too faint to make out clearly. I do know it's coming from inside the warehouse."

Storm nodded and turned to Shadowcat. "Shadowcat, go inside and see if you can give any details. But stay in contact!"

Shadowcat exclaimed, "Be right back in a sec!"

"Kitty!" Iceman called out, too late to stop Shadowcat from moving in.

Shadowcat sprinted for the warehouse and stopped at the wall. She looked around for any sort if defenses, finding none, and then phased through the wall. Shadowcat was phasing partway through the wall, her head and upper body appearing first. She looked around and so no defenses and then stepped all the way through. The warehouse interior was as dilapidated as expected. And it stunk! Shadowcat waved her hand in front of her face to rid herself of the disgusting smell. Then she heard a noise from up above. Shadowcat quickly phased behind some crates and then looked back out to spot what appeared to be Angel, or someone resembling Angel. She stayed out of sight and watched Archangel walk into an elevator in the back of the warehouse. The doors closed and the elevator descended below the warehouse. Shadowcat reappeared from her hiding place and double checked the elevator. It was definitely going down.

Shadowcat pressed a communication link in her ear. "This is Shadowcat, do you read me?"

On the other end, Wolverine responded. "Loud and clear! What'd you find?"

"I just saw something that looked a lot like Angel entering an elevator," Shadowcat said. "It's got to lead down to Essex's lab."

"Alright, we're coming in," Wolverine said. "Stay where you are, Half-Pint."

Wolverine cut transmission before Shadowcat could say, "I hate when he says that!"

Outside the warehouse, the X-Men approached the front door and Wolverine tried to open it. It was locked tight, so Wolverine unsheathed one set of claws and cut right through the door jam. The door was opened with ease and the team joined Shadowcat inside the warehouse. The X-Men approached the elevator and Beast pushed a button to call it back to the surface. Emma had her eyes closed and was attempting to sense any other minds within the area.

"Emma, can you sense Essex or Angel?" Beast asked.

Emma opened her eyes, looked right at Wolverine and said, "I can't sense anything. We likely won't know whose down below until we get there."

"Then lets stay sharp," Wolverine said as the elevator arrived to the top. "It's probably gonna be an ambush."

Once the elevator arrived, the X-Men entered on after another and Beast pushed another button. The elevator began its descent down into Essex's lab. Wolverine expected something to happen immediately. Nothing happened, and it worried him. The elevator reached the bottom floor, the doors opened and the X-Men slowly came out one by one into the illuminated, wide open lab. But then the lab began spinning wildly for every member of the team, and they each sank to their knees. Wolverine caught a very quick glance of Vertigo approaching before passing out. Shadowcat phased through the floor and out of sight just as Vertigo closed the distance. Iceman attempted to shoot an ice blast but was unable to, nor could Emma attempt a mental attack.

"It's impolite to break and enter." Vertigo mocked, but was unaware that Shadowcat reappeared behind her.

Shadowcat quickly swept Vertigo off her feet, slamming head first into the floor. "You should pay a little more attention, lady." Shadowcat quipped.

Vertigo pulled herself up, glared at Shadowcat and snarled, "Bitch!"

Before Vertigo could act, Emma used a series of psychic attacks to subdue her. "Amateur!"

As the X-Men recovered, they heard the sound of clapping, followed by an arrogant voice. "Bravo, all of you," Nathaniel Essex emerged from hiding with Archangel at his side. "I've been watching all of you for a long time, and I must say that I am impressed by what I've seen.

Storm stepped up beside Wolverine and snapped, "Don't act like you know any of us."

"Oh, but I do in fact know each and every one of you," Essex exclaimed, slowly stepping closer toward the X-Men. "Robert Drake. Katherine Pryde. Ororo Monroe. Emma Frost. Henry McCoy. I even know of the late Charles Xavier, as well as Scott Summers and Jean Grey. A pity that none of them are our with us," Essex glanced at Wolverine. "And yes, I even know you, James Hewlett. Or do you prefer Logan?"

Wolverine stepped forward and snarled, "Bub, we never met once!"

"No we haven't, but I know of the bonding process that gave you your adamantium skeleton," Essex continued on. "Quite the remarkable compound, as you can plainly see from Archangel," Essex placed a hand on Archangel's shoulder. "I saved him, you know."

"Bull shit," Wolverine spat. "You stole Angel's life."

"You'd know something about stolen lives," Essex cracked a sick grin and mockingly said, " Wouldn't you, Jimmy?"

The last word set Wolverine off in a bad way, and he unsheathed his claws and lunged at Essex. Archangel, for some reason, moved out of the way and let Wolverine close in on his target. Wolverine closed the distance and in one swift motion, thrust his claws right into Essex's abdomen. Essex doubled over as Wolverine pulled his claws out and then swiped wildly to the side. The end result saw Wolverine literally hack pieces from Essex's body, where they fell to the floor and dissolved into nothing. Wolverine looked back and noticed, to his bemusement, that the missing pieces reformed. Essex glared at Wolverine and grinned before effortless kicking Wolverine away. Wolverine went flying uncontrollably right into Beast, and both were knocked down.

Essex dusted himself off and quipped, "That hurt!"

Storm and Iceman stepped in and unleashed a combination of lightning and ice. Archangel stepped in front of Essex and blocked the attack with his wings and then quickly opened them. This action scattered the lightning/ice attack in multiple directions, and then Archangel unleashed his own projectile back at Iceman and Storm. This time, Emma took on her diamond form and blocked the projectiles before Beast leaped over her and took down Archangel. Vertigo intervened and drove off Beast before Shadowcat surprised and took her down with a straight kick. Beast back flipped and regrouped with the other X-Men, while Wolverine and Storm took to the head of the team. Before they could make their next, a brilliant light illuminated the lab. The X-Men had to shield their eyes before catching a glimpse of the ethereal figure floating toward them. Wolverine could barely make out the Egyptian attire and grayish skin and quickly realize that he and the X-Men were face to face with Apocalypse himself.

"We're in serious trouble!" Wolverine whispered, not nearly loud enough for anyone to hear him.

Apocalypse continued floating toward the X-Men, even passing by Essex and his minions without giving them any thought. He then began slowly outstretching his arms. The X-Men readied themselves for anything. Apocalypse never for a moment took his crimson eyes off of them, never spoke one word or even flinched. Then in one swift motion, Apocalypse slapped his hand together with such force that it produced a massive shockwave. The shockwave literally reduced the entire lab to shambles in seconds, as well as throw all of the X-Men hard to the floor. Apocalypse then lowered himself to the floor and Essex, Archangel and Vertigo gathered around him. He then formed a sort of sphere of energy around himself and his minions. Wolverine tried in vain to reach for Apocalypse as the sphere began to rise into the air. Apocalypse shot a menacing glare at Emma, and she was actually terrified and trembling. The sphere rose higher and then disappeared in a flash of light, leaving the X-Men completely down and out.

Wolverine was the only one still coherent rose to a knee, but was still feeling the effects of Apocalypse's presence. "We're in _very_ serious trouble!"

* * *

Author's note: The X-Men just got OWNED! That ends this latest chapter, so as always let me know what you think so far. Catch ya'll later!


	14. Secrets & Regrets

Disclaimer: Again, I gotta say I'm surprised at the support I've gotten up to this point, in a good way of course. You guys are awesome, all of you and especially Miss Danax. Don't go thinking this to be favoritism. Anyway, X-Men is still the rightful property of Marvel Comics.

* * *

Chapter XIV  
Secrets & Regrets

Stars littered the night skies and swirling sands roamed the landscape of Egypt. From the skies though, as if it was to be the second coming Jesus Christ, a singular spherical object descended. It came to rest at the base of the Sphinx, the silent protector of the Great Pyramids. The sphere dissipated as quickly as it appeared, and Apocalypse moved without walking toward the resting forelimbs of the Sphinx. Essex followed suit, as did Archangel, but Vertigo fell to her knees. Her breathing was shallow, as if she'd made a brief trip around Earth's moon. Vertigo looked up at the gigantic statue and then looked toward Apocalypse. He brought them all here for some reason, though Vertigo was in no hurry to ask. The last thing she needed was to end up like Multiple Man. Apocalypse neither wondered nor cared for Vertigo's fear of him, instead coming to a stop directly center of the Sphinx forelimbs while remaining levitated. He put his hands together as if in prayer, and then spread his arms wide apart and a cloud of sand burst into the air. As the sand cleared, Essex noticed not to his surprise a flight of steps descending into an entrance beneath the Sphinx. Apocalypse levitated down the steps, still without setting foot onto them, and Essex prepared to follow before Vertigo stopped him.

"Why'd he bring us here?" she asked.

"You'd best not concern yourself with the details, Vertigo," Essex assured his minion, though she was unconvinced. "For now, just wait here."

Essex said no more afterwards and followed Apocalypse into the entrance. Vertigo became more apprehensive, not just by Apocalypse, but because she was forced to wait beside Archangel. Archangel shot a piercing glance at Vertigo, and Vertigo was left wondering what she did to deserve anything that's happened as of late.

* * *

The entrance led into a pitch black corridor, not unlike the one Essex traveled in his search for Apocalypse's tomb. Apocalypse's godlike ethereal light illuminated the corridor, allowing Essex to examine the millions upon millions of hieroglyphics lining the walls. Many looked almost alien and there was some vague reference to Rama-Tut. Essex found himself questioning whether that was ever the Pharaoh's true identity. Then Essex came to a sudden halt after Apocalypse stopped short of a massive stone wall. Not a wall, but a door. Apocalypse outstretched one arm, and the door was forced open and led into an antechamber similar to the one in which Apocalypse rested. In fact, this chamber was near identical, save for a miniature pyramid resting at the center. Essex followed Apocalypse into the chamber and made quick note of three statues standing around the pyramid. There were also the remains of a fourth statue, possibly reduced to rubble after years of erosion. Essex examined the statues, knowing immediately what he was witnessing.

"The Horsemen…" he whispered, marveling at the intricately detail statues.

Ignoring Essex's examinations of the statue, Apocalypse floated up to the inert pyramid. He waved one hand through the air, and the pyramid was lit with more of the alien-like glyphs. Then the pyramid somehow opened and was revealed to be hallow, save for a lone chair of an unknown metal and an equally unknown, yet radically advanced technology. Obviously, as Essex thought, there was more to both Rama-Tut and Apocalypse than even he knew. The finding of Apocalypse by Baal three millennia ago was more than simple coincidence. But then Essex heard Apocalypse's voice in his mind, with a dark and commanding tone than made Essex shiver.

"I understand, my lord," Essex said, all while struggling to keep calm. "I will leave you to prepare."

* * *

_What'd I do to deserve this? _Vertigo thought about Archangel. He simply wouldn't stop glaring at her. "What?" Vertigo snapped, to which Archangel said nothing. Then Essex reemerged from the entrance and Vertigo quickly snapped, "It about time; I had to stand here and put with flyboy's staring. What's going on down there?"

Essex simply waltzed passed Vertigo without glancing at her and stated, "That's need-to-know information, Vertigo. You've no need to concern yourself with it," Essex then turned to Archangel. "In the meantime, Archangel, I have an assignment for you. There's someone I'd like you to retrieve for me."

* * *

Rogue felt guilty due to her recent actions, or inactions, as of late. The day she'd absorbed Carol Danvers mutant powers, she held on for far longer than she needed. As a result, the transfer, as Rogue learned, was permanent. Danvers' powers were Rogue's now, but it also left Danvers' comatose in the institute's lower levels. Then there was the rest of the team. Logan had told Rogue about the encounter with Apocalypse, and Kitty in particular really let Rogue have it. So yes, Rogue indeed felt very guilty. Maybe, she believed, she might find some solace with Remy. Rogue found the Cajun to be a very interesting individual. Charming even, if a little arrogant. Rogue stopped at the door to Remy's room and knocked a couple of times.

"Remy, it's Rogue," Rogue waited for an answer but none came. "C'mon, swap rat, say somethin'!"

Rogue opened the door but as it turned out, Remy was no where in sight. Rogue quickly entered, trying to find any indication of why Remy wasn't present. There was no such indication that Remy had even been in the room at all. Rogue left the room as quickly as she had entered and looked around the hall. Maybe Remy was moving around the institute. Rogue was about to give up when she noticed two students coming toward her, male and female respectively. Both appeared to be fiddling with their powers, the boy generating a small electric charge and the girl creating a glowing sphere. Rogue knew them by name as Ray and Tabitha.

Rogue approached the pair and asked, "Hey, you two seen Remy anywhere?"

The students looked at each and then Tabitha stated, "Whose Remy? He another student?"

"He's a tall guy, brown hair, wears a dark brown coat," Rogue pointed out. "You seen 'em?"

"You know, I think I saw somebody wearing a coat." Ray stated.

_Finally_! Rogue thought. "Where is he?"

Ray shrugged and said, "I think he took off!"

Rogue nodded and headed for the front lobby. Remy had to have gone out the front door by now, and Rogue was quickly out the same door. Rogue reached the front entrance steps but still saw no sign of Remy. He must've been gone for a while, but couldn't have gone too far. Rogue knew she wouldn't find Remy by just standing around and she took to the sky. Guilty pleasure much, she thought. As Rogue took off however, Logan caught sight of her leaving. Naturally, instinct took over and Logan followed on foot. Meanwhile, Rogue flew across the sky above the institute grounds and over the front gate. Still no sighting of that Cajun, which made Rogue think that he'd left relatively early. It also made her nervous. But then Rogue caught view of someone on the road below and knew right away that it was Remy. Was he leaving the school? Rogue soared down toward Remy, who didn't seem aware of Rogue's approach.

"Remy," Rogue called out, gaining Remy's attention.

Remy turned and watched in interest as Rogue landed in front of him. "Cherie?! What're you doin' out here?"

"I was gonna ask ya' the same thing," Rogue said. "Where're ya' goin'?"

Remy choked as he tried to speak, and Rogue sensed that something was wrong. Remy eventually said, "Look, I'm sorry, but I gotta leave."

Rogue shook her head slightly in confusion and asked, "What'd you mean? Why do ya' gotta leave?"

"It be a little complicated, okay," Remy said, appearing to be growing nervous. "I just… I just can't stay here."

"Look, if it's about Logan…" Rogue started.

"It's not that," Remy continued, further confusing Rogue. "All I can say is that I don't belong at that house."

"Remy, you ain't makin' any sense!" Rogue said, confusion and hurt evident in her voice.

Remy suddenly snapped, "I ain't who you think I am, Rogue! I'm sorry, but this is better for both of us." Remy turned away but Rogue stopped him.

"I don't want ya' to leave," she admitted. "Don't you get it? I'm at peace when you're around. You make me happy."

Remy turned and faced Rogue, touching her chin with a gloved hand. "Believe me; I wish I didn't have to go, but this is what's best for both of us. You take care of Logan for me, petite."

Remy turned to leave but again, Rogue stopped him. "Please, Remy!"

Obviously, Rogue clearly liked Remy more than she'd let on. The same seemed to go for Remy, evident by his slowly moving his face closer to Rogue's. Rogue should've attempted to stop him, knowing what would happen if they made skin contact. But she didn't care! She wanted Remy. Needed him. Longed for him. She closed her eyes and waited for the contact. Remy inched his face closer and closer but then spotted a winged figure fast approaching. He swiftly pushed Rogue out of the way, and then was tackled hard by Archangel. Remy was thrown hard to the ground with a thud, and Archangel soared right overhead. Rogue picked herself up just in time to witness Archangel prepare to make another flyby. Remy rose to one knee and pulled out a set of playing cards.

Archangel set himself up for the next attack, shouting, "For the glory of the Lord Apocalypse!"

On instinct, Remy turned sharply to Rogue and shouted, "Rogue, run!"

"Remy, look out!" Rogue shouted back.

Remy turned right in time to see Archangel flying in closer. Wasting no time, Remy charged his cards and hurled them as hard and fast as possible. Archangel weaved in and out and even performed barrel rolls. The cards exploded all around him, only barely throwing him off course and he kept coming. Remy kept throwing explosive cards and Archangel retaliated with a series of adamantium feathers. Every projectile collided in midair, and Remy pulled out his staff to defend himself. Archangel swiftly flew right ever Remy, who took a wild swing at the former X-Man. The end result saw Archangel literally slice right through the staff, leaving Remy shocked. Archangel again flew right for Remy and this time, knocked him hard to the ground. With Remy down, Archangel stood over him but then Rogue flew right into him. Archangel was thrown into a tree, while Rogue stood over Remy. Archangel was far from finished and slashed the same tree with his wings. Rogue caught the tree as it was coming down and almost effortlessly threw back at Archangel. Archangel was all ready back in the air by the time the fallen tree reached him.

Rogue took to the air to confront Archangel. "Warren, you gotta stop this. This ain't you!"

"You're in no position to challenge me, Rogue," Archangel shouted. "Leave now!"

"You know me, Warren," Rogue continued, desperately trying to reach Warren if at all possible. "I'm your friend, and the same goes for everyone in the institute."

"I have no friends," Archangel proclaimed. "I serve only the Lord Apocalypse."

"Guess I ain't gonna get through to ya!" Rogue reluctantly murmured.

Archangel quickly spread his wings and charged at Rogue, attempting to slash her. Rogue quickly ducked down, took hold of Archangel's leg and threw him straight down. But Archangel brought Rogue down with him and threw her, even harder, right into the ground. The impact left a small creator, with Rogue down right in the middle. Remy rushed to Rogue's side and attempted to revive her.

"C'mon Rogue, don't go on me now!" he pleaded.

Archangel landed across from Remy and then Nathaniel Essex showed up next to him. "Aw, how sweet," Essex mocked, glaring specifically at Remy. "Hello Gambit! It's been some time since we last spoke."

"What do ya' want with us?" demanded a steadily recovering Rogue.

"I've simply come for Gambit, my dear," Essex said. "He and I have quite a bit to discuss."

Rogue blinked her eyes in confusion and looked at Remy. "Remy, what's he talkin' about?"

Before Remy could answer, Essex quickly exclaimed, "You didn't tell your little girlfriend of our arrangement? You disappoint me, Gambit!"

_Arrangement?_ Rogue thought and glared at Remy. "Remy!?"

Before Remy could speak, Logan lunged out of nowhere and landed right in front of them. "You two okay," Rogue simply nodded and Logan turned toward Essex, unsheathing his claws. "You ain't welcome in my house, Essex!"

"As intrigued as I am, animal, I'm not interested in you," Essex pointed out. "Gambit and I had an arrangement when I sent him to your house."

Logan was now just as confused as Rogue and turned sharply at Remy. "You know this guy?"

"Of course he does," Essex exclaimed. "I ordered him to infiltrate this institute, after all."

Rogue didn't want to hear or believe one word that came from Essex's mouth and bolted right toward him. Essex braced himself for the impact as Rogue grabbed and threw him right to the ground. Logan attempted to intervene before Archangel took him down. Rogue pinned Essex down and simply wailed on him relentlessly without forethought. She threw punch after punch right into Essex's pale face, unleashing a rage that would've put Logan to shame. Rogue kept throwing punches until she couldn't anymore, and Essex simply smiled wickedly at her.

"Is that all you've got?" he mocked.

Rogue grabbed Essex by his dark blur coat and snarled, "You're lying about Remy. You don't know him."

"Really," Essex said before effortlessly kicking Rogue off of him, and Rogue went slamming into the ground. Essex picked himself up, dusted himself off and stated, "Maybe it's you, my dear, who doesn't know him."

Logan, who was busy with Archangel, noticed Rogue in trouble and attempted to help. But Archangel took advantage and slashed Logan right across his back. Logan would heal soon enough, but Archangel wasn't going to allow him the chance and prepared to finish him off. Then Remy intervened with a barrage of exploding cards. Archangel eventually backed off and returned to Essex's side, and Essex was smiling that same demented smile. Rogue and Logan quickly regroup, but Remy did not follow suit.

"Obviously, this was a lost cause, so Archangel and I will be on our way," he mocked. "In the meantime, I believe you'll have plenty of explaining to do, Gambit."

Rogue quickly stepped up and snapped, "Ya' ain't leavin'!"

Archangel quickly shot off more feathers but Logan blocked them. Then the attack stopped as quickly as it started. Logan dropped his guard and realized Essex and Archangel were already gone. He retracted his claws and turned over to Rogue. Rogue looked at Logan and then turned sharply toward Remy. Remy turned away from Rogue, who slowly walked toward him. Remy didn't bother to look Rogue in the eye.

"Remy," she whispered to the Cajun. "I've gotta know! Is what that maniac about you… Is it true?"

Remy was stuck in a rut, not knowing what he could possibly. But he had to swallow his pride. "I'm sorry, Rogue! It all be true!"

Rogue took a step back but didn't take her eyes off of Remy. She also shook her head in disbelief. Remy knew he pretty much blew it, evident by Logan staring figurative daggers into the Cajun. Rogue turned away from Remy, covering her mouth with both hands. Then she sharply turned right back and laid Remy out with one swift punch to the face. Remy went down like a pile of bricks, and Logan was shocked at the sight of Rogue punching out the Cajun. Rogue clearly put everything she had behind that one punch, as she soon after broke into tears and flew back to the mansion. Remy was starting to come to but all he saw was a seething Logan.

Slowly extending one set of claws, Logan snarled, "Bub, we've gotta talk!"

* * *

Author's note: Ah ha, the plot thickens, and it appears the our favorite Cajun has some explaining to do. And, what could Apocalypse have planned? Best that ya'll stayed tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to review. See ya!


	15. The Mind's Eye

Disclaimer: A new chapter already? Man, time flies, doesn't it? As always, I don't own the rights to X-Men. Like we all didn't know that already!

* * *

Chapter XV  
The Mind's Eye

It felt painfully ironic for Remy to find himself right back into the exact same cell as before. He probably deserved it and much more. Outside of the cell, Logan slammed the door as hard as he could manage. Remy slowly picked himself up but didn't attempt to raise his head to face his captors. He did so regardless and that only confirmed what he already knew. Logan paced back and forth outside of the cell, never taking his eyes off of the Cajun. Accusing him! It was a look that Remy had grown accustomed to back in New Orleans. But it wasn't Logan piercing glare that got to him; it was Rogue's. The look on her face told a better story than anyone would know. She felt betrayed, angry and in some ways, very sad. Logan glanced at Rogue briefly before shifting his narrow focus back to Remy. Time for some answers!

"Start talking, Cajun," Logan snarled. "Why'd you come here? What's Essex want with us?"

Remy seemed all too reluctant to answer. "You won't like the answer."

"We can do this one of two ways," Logan snapped. "Either I can have Frost read you mind, only she won't as gentle as time," Logan unsheathed one set of claws just to prove his point. Literally! "Or, I can come in there and personally go digging for answers. Take your pick!"

Remy shoot his head and went into a seated position. "Essex hired me to spy on you, gain your trust and then…"

"And then what?" Logan demanded.

"He wanted me to learn all your secrets and steal 'em." Remy explained.

Logan quickly asked, "Why, and what does Apocalypse have to do with it?"

"I don't know! He wouldn't tell me," Remy said. "As for this Apocalypse guy, I got no idea where he stands."

_So, Essex was bluffing all along_, Logan thought. _That's how he knew as much as he did about us. About me! I'm gonna skewer that creep alive._

Logan alternated glances between Remy and Rogue, and he could see the hurt in Rogue's eyes. When looking at Remy, Logan saw a seemingly broken heap of a mutant. Reasoning that he wasn't going to get anymore out of the Cajun, Logan stormed off. Rogue remained for a while longer. She could see that Remy appeared to be disgusted with himself. Any burdening anger she felt was now mixed with remorse. That did little to change the fact that Rogue felt deeply betrayed. Remy knew it and as such, it made feel worse about. Rogue finally looked away and prepared to leave, and Remy stood upright.

"Rogue…"

Without turning, Rogue stoically said, "Don't talk to me. Don't even look at me."

"Look, I know what I went and done was bad," Remy tried to explain. "But I had my reasons."

Rogue turn sharply and glared right at Remy, eventually shouted, "You lied to me, Remy. To think, I think I was starting to actually like you."

Remy was losing a whole hell of a lot of that Louisiana charm, if he hadn't already. "Rogue, I'm sorry! I didn't have a choice."

"There's always a choice." Rogue stated.

Remy hung his head in shame. "Not for me."

Rogue turned away from Remy and prepared to leave. Something about what Remy said made her think. There was regret in his voice that much she knew. Rogue wanted to believe Remy but wasn't sure if that was possible anymore. Her trust in him was shattered, possibly beyond repair. Without affording Remy another glance, Rogue stormed away. Remy was left alone, leaning up again a wall. He checked his hands and they crackled with kinetic energy. He probably could've broken out of his cell again, but he was just felt too demoralized to try.

* * *

The hieroglyphics lining the walls of the antechamber pulsated as if like ocean waves. The pulsating appeared to converged upon the single pyramid in which Apocalypse sat. Silent and still, his eyes were shut for what seemed like centuries. Although, it was only a single day and night. It made no different to Apocalypse, for his reason for the occupation of the antechamber was the revival of those he called the Horsemen. They would be his ultimate instruments of destruction. But they were incomplete. There were only three Horsemen, as Essex was sure to point out. Had Apocalypse shown any indication of emotion, it would likely be disappointment. He would need to find a replacement for his lost minion. Archangel perhaps? Yes, he'd do nicely! But that would have to wait. The main priority for Apocalypse was his advancement, his ascension to ultimate power. It would of course take time, but soon, he would be ready to plunge the world into a dark new age.

* * *

"You're going to do what?"

Emma had to recollect herself after Ororo's outburst. "I'm sorry. I couldn't hear you well behind all the screaming."

Ororo shook her head at Emma's attitude. "You're out of your mind, Emma, even for a telepath. Trying to communicate with Apocalypse is suicide."

Emma kept walking down hall leading to Cerebro without slowing down. "I'm not saying the risk isn't present, but this is the only viable option we have at the moment."

There're plenty of other options." Ororo said.

Emma stopped suddenly and went face to face with Ororo. "Like what; flying into a helpless battle we have no chance surviving, much less winning? I'm sure you remember what happened to Prof. Xavier when Jean killed him."

"The Phoenix killed Charles, not Jean," Ororo argued. "It killed Scott too."

"Don't you think I know that," Emma shouted. "Believe me; I know what it's like… to lose someone you care about."

Emma marched on toward Cerebro, leaving Ororo alone to think. The way she reacted to hearing how Scott died; she sounded genuinely hurt. Ororo then glanced at Emma as she kept going, and then it hit her like one of her lightening strikes. Emma left the institute because of Scott, not some perceived arrogance. Ororo wanted to question Emma about it, but instead to wait for a later time. The entrance into Cerebro was already open, and the women could see Hank coming out.

"I've amplified the system strength, so you're telepathy should be doubled once you start up Cerebro." Hank informed.

"Thank you, Hank," Emma exclaimed, who then exhaled and said, "Well, I suppose I should get started."

"Emma," Hank exclaimed, even taking hold of Emma's arm. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Emma shook her head, knowing what Hank was talking about. "Hank, you were there, and it was made clear that face to face, we're no match for Apocalypse. I have to at least try to communicate with him."

Ororo quickly walked up to her teammates. "There's got to be another way."

"I'm afraid not," Emma pointed out. "It's now or never." With that, Hank released his grip, and Emma started into Cerebro.

"Emma," Ororo called out, to which Emma turned around. "Good luck!"

Emma nodded as she approached the platform, and the entranceway sealed shut behind her. No turning back now! Emma took the helmet into her hands. There was a moment of hesitation on her part, but Emma put on the helmet. The white and silver garbed telepath closed her eyes and began concentrating as hard as possible. As before, the giant circular room seemed to fade into shadows and billions of white figures appeared around Emma. As always, the white figures were human signatures, and then the red mutant signatures appeared. So many of them, in so many different parts of the world. Emma concentrated harder to locate Apocalypse wherever he might be, and her search took an unexpected turn.

* * *

_((Emma found herself alone in nothing more that pitch black darkness, where the visible images were puffs of mist and Emma herself. Was this really the mind of Apocalypse? Nothing but darkness? Emma scanned her surroundings but was unable to look passed the mist. She wasn't alone, though. Emma could feel another presence there; Apocalypse himself no doubt. Emma did what she could to compose herself, but she couldn't deny that she was feeling rather apprehensive. Then something seemed to pass right behind Emma and she turned sharply. Nothing! It happened again, and Emma responded the same way. Again, there was nothing._

_ "Why have you come here?" demanded a deep, commanding voice._

_ Emma turned to where the voice seemed to originate but found nothing. "I can tell you that I didn't come to fight. My name is…"_

_ The voice cut off the telepath by stating, "I know who you are, Emma Frost." It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time._

_ Right away, Emma knew she was speaking, telepathically anyway, to Apocalypse. "If you know who I am, then you know I've come merely to talk. To discuss what it is your planning."_

_ "My plans are none of your concern." Apocalypse stated, his tone suggesting disinterest of the trespassing telepath._

_ In defiance, Emma stated, "When you turn a valued member of my team and a friend into your personal slave, it becomes my concern."_

_ Apocalypse simply chuckled and claimed, "The one you knew as Angel had his gift unjustly stolen for him. He sought to be made whole, and I granted his desire."_

_ "At the price of his free will!" Emma snapped._

_ "There __**is **__no free will," Apocalypse claimed. "You are ignorant in the ways of the world, as an infant in its cradle. I have experienced things that even the greatest of minds could not hope to fathom. You believe me to be evil, but I am neither evil nor good. I simply __**am**__."_

_ "Regardless, you must know that there those who will stand against you, Apocalypse." Emma stated, defiant and seemingly unafraid._

_ "Confidence born of ignorance!" Apocalypse claimed, his voice growing in volume._

_ Emma suddenly felt her body being lifted from wherever she was standing. She tried to free herself, flailing relentlessly but it was all for naught. She expected something would happen upon entering Apocalypse's mind. But she wasn't prepared to endure the most excruciating pain she'd ever felt. Emma wrapped her arm around her abdomen. She felt as if her entire body was going to split in half, and then she saw two massive crimson eyes staring right at her; eyes without a face. The eyes of Apocalypse._

_ "You seek to learn of my plans," Apocalypse stated. "So be it."_

_ The eyes vanished as quickly as they appeared and Emma was dropped back to level ground. Assuming there was ground at all. Emma struggled to collect herself and then the darkness seemed to give way to light. Fighting to stand up, Emma's eyes widened in horror upon what she witnessed. What Apocalypse was showing her! All of New York was in ruins. Buildings were crumbling one by one. Fires were burning out of control. The sky was rendered blood red and littered with lightning strikes. Emma then looked behind and saw the that the Xavier Institute was also in ruins much like the city, maybe the world. Then Emma noticed countless gravestones littering the scorched ground. Among them were the gravestones were those of the X-Men. Storm. Iceman. Shadowcat. Rogue. Beast. Jubilee. Even Emma herself. There were even gravestones bearing the names of Colossus and Gambit. The only gravestone not present was that of Wolverine. Emma fell to her knees and covered her eyes with her hands. She fought the urge to cry or scream. Or both!_

_ "It can't be," she whispered to herself. "This can't be our future."_

_ Emma then felt the ground rumble and turned toward the source. As if the shock of seeing a destroyed world wasn't enough, Emma now bore witness to a series of gigantic floating pyramids. An enormous crowd gathered beneath the main pyramid. They could be heard chanting the name of Apocalypse. Emma gazed toward the top of the pyramid, finding a platform near the apex of the structure. She saw first the unmistakable image of Nathaniel Essex, now garbed in vampire-like, dark blue attire. Then she saw the image of Archangel, clad in a dark blue and red body suit and his adamantium wings spread wide. Two more images appeared. The first Emma easily recognized to be, to her astonishment, Wolverine. His entire body was now littered with adamantium blades jutting from within his flesh. The second figure sent Emma into a wave of horror. She wanted not to believe it, but despite the various cybernetic portions around his body, there was no mistaking the visor that this one figure wore._

_ Emma whispered one word; "Cyclops!?"_

_ The chanting continued on and on, growing louder until it shifted to immense cheering. Emma gazed at the new figure as it towered of the other. The figure outstretched his arms, garnering widespread cheers from the crowd below. Lightning streaked across the sky and afforded Emma a very brief glimpse of the figure. There was no question that it was Apocalypse, only now he appeared in a cyborg-like form. Then harrowing vision ended and Emma was returned to the darkness. She fell to her hands and knees, fighting to catch her breath when the crimson eyes returned._

_ "You have seen the future. You know it is unavoidable," Apocalypse's voice sounded. "The sands of time have already begun to poor against you."_

_ In defiance, Emma stood up and stated, "The X-Men will stop you, Apocalypse. Be certain of that."_

_ "You threats are as empty of your entire existence," Apocalypse said without even a hint of uncertainty. "The Age of Apocalypse has only just begun. This exchange is over."_

_ The eyes vanished yet again, and Emma was left alone. Suddenly, her body began taking diamond form without her in control. Emma's attempts to halt the transformation were met with failure. Once her body was in diamond form, Emma watched in horror as cracks began forming, first on her abdomen, then her arms and then legs. More cracks formed on Emma's face and then pieces began falling. Emma protested and then let out a scream, and then her body exploded in a shower of diamonds. Then nothing!))_

* * *

Emma quickly removed the helmet and fell hard to the platform as the circular room returned to normal. The doors opened and Hank and Ororo rushed to tend to the fallen telepath. Ororo had the harrowing image of finding Charles Xavier collapsed on the platform in much the same way. That instance was due to sabotage by Mystique. This time, there was no such sabotage. Hank cradled Emma in his arms, trying to shake her back into consciousness.

"Emma," he said. "Emma, wake up! Wake up!"

Emma opened her eyes and saw Hank and Ororo looking down on her. Immediately, the telepath sat up and instinctively checked her body. No cracks were visible on her person, but she was left terrified. For the first time in her life, Emma Frost was actually terrified. She tried to refocus, eventually hearing the voices of Hank and Ororo speaking to her.

"Emma, are you alright?" Hank asked.

Ororo asked, "What happened? What did you see?"

Emma tried in desperation to collect her thoughts. "I've seen the future in the mind of Apocalypse," Emma lowered her head, fear continuing to well up inside of her. "We have to stop him, now!"

* * *

Author's note: That ends another chapter. A bit shorter than the last few, but we did get a brief glimpse at the Age of Apocalypse. Let me know what you think and I'll be back soon. Adios!


	16. Age of Apocalypse Pt I

Disclaimer: Here I am with another entry, and this time, it's a three part event. As always, I don't own the rights to X-Men, Blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada, Olivia Munn, Mario, Luigi, Indiana Jones, Optimus Prime, Peter Griffin, Darth Vader, Yoda, R2D2, AC/DC, a bag of hammers, Carlito and at this point, his hair is way out of control! (sighing) Enjoy! (falls over and takes a nap)

* * *

Chapter XVI  
Age of Apocalypse Pt. I

The Horsemen Ride

Everything was ready. The antechamber was periodically lit by the pulsating hieroglyphics, all of which converged on the miniature pyramid in which Apocalypse rested. Now, the time had come for his ascension. The pulsating increased in speed, to which Apocalypse paid little attention. Then, it began! Apocalypse could feel the power pouring into his body. The various markings that littered his gray skin glowed with a light that rivaled the sun itself. Apocalypse could feel his body beginning to convulse, and for the first time, he struggled to endure the hardship. Uncharacteristically, he began screaming. Intense light shined out of his eyes and mouth, and his screaming was heard from outside the Sphinx.

* * *

Outside of the Sphinx, Vertigo was among those who could hear Apocalypse's screaming. "What's going on in there?"

That was a question that Essex saw little reason to answer. What was happening to Apocalypse was something Essex doubted Vertigo could comprehend. Across from Vertigo, Archangel was perched atop one of the stone limbs of the Sphinx. Vertigo could feel the former X-Man burning holes into her, glaring at her like a vulture to a piece of rotting meat. Essex amusingly glanced back to his compatriots before returning his attention to the commotion beneath the Sphinx. He could plainly hear the screams of his master, yet was unworried. Essex knew that Apocalypse cold handle the change taking place within him. He knew it was almost over.

* * *

The antechamber fell silent and the pulsating ceased. A faint mist filled the space within the miniature pyramid, and a shadow emerged. The transformation was complete as Apocalypse appeared from the mist and levitated off the stone floor. Outside the Sphinx, Essex and company waited for the emergence of the immortal warlord. When Apocalypse finally did appear, he no longer bore even the slightest resemblance to a Pharaoh. He seemed have to become one with the technology of which the miniature pyramid was made. He now bore a more cybernetic appearance as opposed to the Egyptian attire. His long raven hair was gone and his skin was a bizarre shade of blue-gray. Technologically advanced armor adorned his neck and torso, gauntlets were worn on his arms and legs and he now was close to at least seven feet tall. Maybe more! The only remaining similarities between old and new were the various markings on his body and the crimson red eyes. This new appearance of Apocalypse garnered varying expressions on the faces of his followers. Essex bowed before his master as Apocalypse lowered to the sandy ground on front of him.

"Lord Apocalypse, your transformation is now complete," Essex stated. "As ever, I pledge my devotion to your cause."

Suddenly, Apocalypse actually spoke with words for the first time since his awakening. "You have proven your worth, Essex," he said in a grand, self-important tone. "The time for change is at hand. This is a world rife with those who are weak and feeble. On this day, I shall usher in a new age."

Apocalypse turned back toward the entrance of the Sphinx and outstretched his arm. Within the antechamber, the three statues began to glow in the same light with which Apocalypse shined before his transformation. The light grew brighter with each passing until it became as bright as the sun and then quickly vanished. The statues were no longer present, replaced by three humanoid beings. Each one had vapors permeating from their bodies as they rose to their feet one after the other. Their eyes glowed a sickly green as they soon heard the voice of Apocalypse calling out to them.

"My Horsemen," he called. "Your master summons you."

Without so much as a thought, the Horsemen turned toward the sound of their master and made for the exit. When they emerged, they appeared to be similar in appearance to Apocalypse. There was still varying difference; two of the Horsemen appeared to be female while the third was clearly male. The male Horseman appeared blood red in color, while the female Horsemen appeared black and white respectively. Nonetheless, they appeared to bare similar technology to Apocalypse.

Apocalypse first approached the black Horseman. "You, Famine, shall strike these mortals with endless hunger," Turning next to the white Horseman, Apocalypse said, "You, Pestilence, shall unleash plague and disease untold," Then Apocalypse turned to the red Horseman and said, "And you, War, shall instigate conflict and destruction throughout."

Apocalypse turned away from the Horsemen and reached out to the darkening sky, as if he were summoning a bolt of lightening. Summon he did, but not a lightening bolt! From the gathering cloud emerged what could only be described as a group of horses, all sharing the colors of a specific Horseman. Unlike the Horsemen, the horsed appeared to be composed entirely of flames. The horses landed and the Horsemen all climbed onto their specific steed, much to the pleasure, or lack there of, of Apocalypse.

Apocalypse turned to Archangel and stated, "You, Archangel, shall lead the Horsemen as my Angel of Death."

Archangel bowed to Apocalypse and said, "Thank you, my Lord Apocalypse, for this honor."

Apocalypse nodded and, with an arm outstretched, proclaimed, "Now go, my Four Horsemen; bring this world to its knees."

On that command, the Four Horsemen ascended into the sky with Archangel leading them. The Horsemen soon began soaring across the sky before dispersing, all going in separate directions. Standing feet away from Apocalypse, Essex looked on in amazement at the events that had unfolded. Vertigo was more along the lines of not knowing what to think. Apocalypse glanced at the mutant female, and Vertigo backed away in fright. Essex meanwhile approached his master, bowing his head to the warlord.

"I have done my part as commanded, my lord." Essex stated

Apocalypse, without looking at Essex, simply stated, "That you have, Essex and as such, you shall have a place at my side in the new world. So to, the Age of Apocalypse begins!"

* * *

Mexico City, Mexico

As expect of them by their master, the Four Horsemen descended upon the world like a great wind of darkness. The first of them, Famine, descended on Mexico City, the citizens of which were unaware of her foreboding presence. Any who did take notice of the bizarre creature ran for dear life. Famine cocked her hear at the feeble attempts of escape by the locals. Escape was to be impossible! With a simple flick of the wrist, Famine used her influence to render all in her sight weakened by mass starvation. All forms of sustenance were then rotted away into nothing more than dust. Crops across the land became barren and water dried up from the rivers. Famine surveyed the landscape, showing no indication of satisfaction and disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

* * *

Florence, Italy

As Mexico City was unprepared for the first Horseman, so to would Florence, Italy be unprepared for the presence of Pestilence. The second of the Four Horsemen soared over the city, garnering the attention of any who happened to be looking her way. Naturally, people ran in fear of the mere presence of Pestilence. With a wave of her arm, Pestilence unleashed a black cloud that spread across Florence. Any people who became caught in the cloud emerged soon after with countless boils on their bodies. Often, less fortunate victim caught in the black storm fell to their knees and began coughing up blood. As it was with Mexico City, Florence was wrought with mayhem, and Pestilence vanished without a trace.

* * *

Moscow, Russia

The worst was yet to come as the third Horseman, War, descended on Moscow with evil intent. With both arms extended, War used his powers to instigate widespread destruction across the city. Military soldiers of all divisions and citizens alike, quickly and violently turned on each. Friends became enemies in the blink of an eye. Families tore each other apart. Shots were fired from countless soldiers. Making matters worse, War influenced every heavily arm weapon to fire upon the buildings in the area. Naturally, said buildings were devastated in a matter of seconds. His deed of destruction done, War disappeared into the sky from whence he came.

* * *

Los Angeles, California

By the time half of the world had become aware of the growing chaos in Mexico, Italy and Russia, Archangel descended down toward Los Angeles. The city was ill prepared to endure a relentless assault from the Horseman of Death. Attacking without warning, Archangel unleashed an arsenal of adamanium feathers on the unsuspecting city. This unprovoked assault resulted in countless vehicular accidents. City worker fell from scaffoldings and plummeted to their deaths and various people became victims of Archangel himself. Any responding authorities that dare to stand again the attack fell quickly to Archangel's relentless attack. Archangel rose to the sky and surveyed the destruction he'd perpetrated.

"For the unending glory of the true master of the world," Archangel announced. "All hail Lord Apocalypse!"

* * *

The X-Men were watching the madness unfold all over the world. Hank was the first to comment, "Oh my stars and gardens!"

Ororo then commented, "Oh my God!"

Then Logan added, "Oh shit!

The rest of the team, Bobby, Kitty, Rogue and Emma were watching the same thing as well. Their faces told as good a story as any television screen. Kitty held Bobby's arm as tightly as she could without phasing through him. Rogue saw this and didn't know whether to heave or walk away. Emma was probably the most shocked out of all the X-Men. It was understandable, considering what she witnessed when she tried communicating wit Apocalypse. The warlord called it the _Age of Apocalypse. _The title seemed appropriate, considering what was happening already.

"So what, what do we do now," Kitty asked. "How're we going to stop that madman?"

Ororo and Logan exchanged glanced, both trying to come up with the right answer. Ororo ultimately said, "We'll do exactly what we were trained to do; all of us. We're not going to let this happen. We'll find a way to stop Apocalypse."

"We need however to be realistic, Ororo," Hank pointed out. "We were all simply brushed the last time we faced Apocalypse."

"Hank is right," Emma added, "Even at full strength, I'd expect nothing less than the same as last time. With Angel serving Apocalypse and Jubilee emotionally out of commission, I don't see any way of survival. Chances are none of us will make it out alive."

The room fell silent before Logan stood tall and proclaimed, "It's more or less a suicide mission, but it's a chance we'll have to take. I think it's what Xavier would want."

"We're still going to need all the help we can get." Ororo said.

"Agreed, and I can't believe I'm gonna ask this," Logan said and turned to Emma. "Frost, any chance you can locate the Brotherhood?"

"I already have," Emma said. "They've taken up refuge at an abandoned cathedral in East Brooklyn."

Logan nodded and looked at Ororo, and Ororo stated, "Then let's suit up and we'll meet in the Velocity."

Suddenly, Jubilee showed up and announced, "I'm going too!"

The X-Men were somewhat startled and Logan walked up to the young mutant. "Listen, there's a chance you might have to fight Angel. You sure about you wanna go through with this?"

Jubilee fell silent for a moment and then said, "That thing is not Angel, not anymore. I'll do whatever I have to do."

Logan couldn't help but smirk at Jubilee and said, "Okay, now you're an X-Man!"

* * *

Later on in the fitting area of the lower level, the X-Men were getting the gear on. Being among them, Rogue glanced around the room at each member. She could easily tell what was going through their minds. Emma glanced toward Rogue and knew what she was thinking, but to her credit she said nothing. Rogue glanced over at Bobby and Kitty, both of them exchanging looks of apprehension, even fear. That wasn't to say that the other weren't feeling the same way. Hank was seen pulling his gear on, and he was obviously deep in thought. The same when for Ororo as she through her cape over her shoulders. Logan was doing his best to not show any fear, appearing as a rock among the team. Rogue admired that of him, but even she knew how high the stakes were. After suiting up and throwing on her leather jacket, Rogue walked out of the fitting area and into the hall. She stopped by the infirmary and saw Carol Danvers, still comatose, laying on the operating table. A thought went through Rogue's mind; what if Danvers woke up and no one was there to greet her? Rogue moved on, absentmindedly coming up to the holding cells. Thoughts of Remy LeBeau flooded Rogue's mind. She was still stinging from the Cajun's betrayal, and yet Rogue felt sorry for him. She shouldn't have cared. For whatever reason, Rogue entered the holding cell block and almost immediately heard faint clapping sounds. The sound of a deck of cards slapping together in rapid succession. Rogue found Remy seated in a corner of the cell, surprised that he hadn't attempted to break out. Remy spotted Rogue standing outside the cell before going back to his cards.

"You know what's happenin' out there, right?" Rogue asked.

Remy stopped his actions and glanced at Rogue. Clearing his throat, he said, "I gathered that some big bad mutant's tryin' to wipe out the world."

Rogue sighed, giving Remy credit for keeping his cool. "There's a good chance the X-Men might not make it out alive."

"A suicide mission, eh," Remy wondered. "Yeah, that sounds pretty bad."

Rogue was stalling, knowing that next thing she was about to say would likely put her at odds with the other X-Men. "Look, if let you outta this cell, we'll you help us fight Apocalypse?"

The question caught Remy completely out of left field. _Hell no _was the first thing that came to mind for how the Cajun could answer. Remy couldn't fathom what Rogue would get were he to agree to the terms asked of him. What was the point of going into battle against near impossible odd with next to zero chance of survival? Remy was thinking about it; die in a cell or die in battle. Rogue's patience in the meantime was waning and she sighed in frustration.

"If you won't help, then just say so," Rogue snapped. "Otherwise, you can stay here and rot for all I care." Disappointed, Rogue finally turned to leave and join the rest of the team.

Then Remy stood up in the cell and called out, "Rogue, wait a sec," It was more than enough to get Rogue's attention as Remy approached the window separating the two. "Let me try to grasp this idea; I get outta this cage, and in return, I help you fight Apocalypse. Is that the idea?"

"Yeah, that's the idea!" Rogue stated, unaware that Logan had just entered the cell block.

Remy sighed and said, "I ain't proud o' what I did, stabbing ya'll in the back. But, if redeeming myself means going up against impossible odds with no chance of survival whatsoever, that Remy LeBeau would be happy to fight with his beloved Cherie."

Rogue smiled and opened the cell door, allowing Remy to come out. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I probably would," Logan finally announced his presence and stalked toward the Cajun. "But like Storm said; we need all the help we can get. But you'd better be straight up with us, Cajun."

"Don't you worry," Remy said, his confidence returning. "Remy LeBeau honors his promises. Mostly anyway! Beside, I got a score to settle with that snake in the grass Essex."

Logan smirked and turned to Rogue. "Rogue, get the Cajun a uniform."

* * *

Remy wasn't too thrilled about the uniform he'd been given, which he wore underneath his trench coat. Noting that the X-Men were wearing similar uniform, Remy commented, "Ya'll actually go outside in these things?"

Wolverine and Storm exchanged amused glanced and Wolverine said, "What would you prefer? Purple pajamas?"

Remy chuckled and said, "Don't matter, as long as I get to keep the coat."

With the banter put aside, the Velocity whirred to life and rose up from below the school's basketball field. Remy looked around the cockpit at the other X-Men. He could easily tell that the time for laughs were over. They knew what they were going up against. Remy couldn't say he blamed them but before he could react, the Velocity's afterburner roared to life. The Velocity bolted across the dark sky on route to locate the Brotherhood, if at all possible. After that, it would be time to face Apocalypse head on. The battle for the future was only just beginning.

To Be Continued…

* * *

Author's note: (Snoring loudly; wakes up suddenly) Whoa, did I dose off? Sorry! Well, that's it for Part I of the Age of Apocalypse Saga. As always, don't forget to review and I shall return with Part II. Bah bye!


	17. Age of Apocalypse Pt II

Disclaimer: Well, here's Pt. II of the Age of Apocalypse Saga. Please note, this event has now been upgraded to a four part event. Like usual, I don't own the rights to X-Men. Sorry, I don't have anything clever or witty to say.

* * *

Chapter XVII  
Age of Apocalypse Pt. II

Under Blackened Skies

_"Martial Law has been implemented in various countries around the globe, and some are even suggesting that the end times are upon us. Details are sketchy, but sources say that numerous military factions are converging at en undisclosed location in Egypt where the source of these worldwide catastrophes is said to have originated."_

Hiding from the public eye in an abandon cathedral, the Brotherhood watched as all sorts of carnage unfold all over the world. Every member looked on with varying expressions, all of them unable to turn away from the view. Domino sighed in stunned silence, while Avalanche stood stoically across from her with his arms folded. Blink didn't show much interest but she nonetheless felt compelled to keep watching. Pyro was watching as well, but he obviously showed next to no interest. Polaris and Quicksilver were clearly the most effected, considering that they were, in a way, responsible for releasing Apocalypse in the first place.

"What have we done," Polaris whispered before turning to Quicksilver. "We do we do?"

Quicksilver looked Polaris and simply said, "I don't know. I wish I did."

"Pietro, we have to do something," Polaris stated. "Not even our father would go this far."

"You sure about that, Green Hair," said Pyro in a derogatory tone. "From where I stand, I think this is exactly how far your daddy would go. So what if Apocalypse burns the world? Why should we care?"

Domino glared at Pyro and snapped, "Pyro, you can't be serious."

Pyro glared back at Domino and snapped, "Like I said; so what? Let Apocalypse torch this mud ball. It'll be easier for us to pick up the scraps."

Quicksilver stepped up to Pyro and snapped, "So the Brotherhood is nothing but a pack of wolves now, is that it?"

"If you've got a problem with it, then you can go run circles around the world," Pyro snarled, lighter aimed right at Quicksilver. "Either way, we've got you and your sweet, innocent little sister to thank for this mess. I'll bet dear old Dad would be proud."

Enrage by the comment Pyro had made, Quicksilver literally bolted right at the fire wielding mutant. Collision followed, and Quicksilver had Pyro pinned against the wall. The other Brotherhood members were ready to act on a moments notice, but Polaris stood between them and her brother. Domino had her gun pointed at Quicksilver's head, Blink had a javelin ready and Avalanche was primed to rock everyone off their feet.

"You're just as bad as Apocalypse, Pyro. Worse!" Quicksilver snarled.

"What, are you gonna kill me, Pietro, right in front of little Lorna," Pyro snarled back. "That's not your style."

"If I have to, yes!" Quicksilver stated.

Pyro simply chuckled and said, "You don't have the guts, Speedball," Pyro glanced at Domino and snapped, "What're you waiting for, Dom? Blow his brains out!"

For once in her life, Domino was stalling on squeezing the trigger. She was conflicted, seeing as Pyro was her leader and Quicksilver was her friend. But before Domino could do anything, the windows of the cathedral began to shudder. It was as though a mighty wind was blowing through the cathedral. Wind?! X-Men! On cue, the cathedral doors flew open and the X-Men entered, Storm at the front and flanked on both sides by Wolverine and Emma Frost.

"I'm sorry! Are we interrupting? Storm quipped.

Domino immediately pointed her gun at Storm. "What're you doing here?"

Wolverine immediately stepped in between Storm and Domino's gun. "We didn't come here to fight. We came here to ask for you help."

"Piss off, Wolverine!" Pyro defiantly snapped.

Ignoring the hotheaded mutant, Storm stuck up next to Wolverine and said, "You've all seen what happening out there. Apocalypse is going to destroy everything we know and remake it in his image."

Emma stepped up and said, "What we're telling you is the truth. I've seen the future and I, we can promise you, that's something we can't allow to happen."

"So, how about we stop fighting each other, and start fighting Apocalypse." Wolverine exclaimed.

Quicksilver glared at Pyro for a few more moment before finally letting him drop to the floor. "Polaris and I are with the X-Men." he said while looking at Polaris, who readily gave a nod.

Domino lowered her gun and said, "I'm with you, too." Domino followed Quicksilver and Polaris out of the cathedral.

Avalanche shook his head in frustration and said, "I'll go! There's no profit in the end of the world anyway." Avalanche went to catch up with the group, followed by Blink.

Catching his breath, Pyro reached to Blink and asked, "Blink, you too," Blink simply glared at Pyro before continuing on. Pyro, frustrated, sighed, "Aw hell! Wait up!"

Pyro followed the group into the Velocity, earning himself menacing glares from Iceman and Rogue. Neither of them offered any words, although Rogue did extend her middle finger. Charming! Pyro then glanced at Gambit, who gave him a simple nod. The Velocity eventually rose into the darkened sky and rocketed away, on route to Egypt. And Apocalypse! As they sped toward their destination, Emma was busy reading the mind of all in the ship. Jubilee, who was sitting across from Emma, came to mind in particular.

"Are you alright, Jubilee?" Emma asked.

Jubilee, though distracted, turned to the telepath and said, "I'm fine! Just… it's Angel."

Emma nodded. "I've lost someone too. The worst part is that I wasn't there to save him."

Now Jubilee was a bit curious. "I didn't think you cared about anyone."

"If we survive this battle, I'll tell you everything," Emma said. "I give you my word."

Jubilee simply nodded and said, "I guess I'll have to hold you to your word."

* * *

As the direct result of the widespread chaos around the world, every known military power began a massive counterstrike against Apocalypse. Every available tank, fighter jets and attack helicopter converged on the head of the Sphinx on which Apocalypse waited. Essex and Vertigo took immediate notice of the various war machines. Essex found the advancement of such a force to be most amusing. Vertigo, not so much! More importantly, Apocalypse showed no sign of amusement and levitated into the air.

"They are but insects that march ever closer to their ultimate doom," he said in a monotone voice. "I shall show them the error of their ways."

As the warlord floated away, Vertigo turned to Essex and exclaimed, "Is he insane? He can't take all of them."

Essex simply and casually said, "Wait for it and watch the fun."

Vertigo narrowed her eyes at Essex, clearly unbelieving in his ever cavalier attitude. Regardless, Vertigo watch as Apocalypse slowed floated toward the oncoming militant forces. On the ground below, the various tanks, M-1 Abrams by the look of it, raised their guns and targeted Apocalypse. The attack helicopters, clearly AH-64 Apaches, did the same thing and targeted the warlord. Finally, the oncoming A-10 Warthogs locked every available missile onto Apocalypse. The pilots in the jets and helicopters and the drivers of the tanks waited for the order to open fire, all of them having Apocalypse in their crosshairs. On command, every vehicle opened fire on the mutant warlord with piece of firepower that could be mustered. Every tank unleashed an explosive barrage of fire. The Apaches fired a series of heat seekers at the target, and the Warthogs flew by hard and fast while unloading missile after missile and bullet after bullet. Apocalypse seemed to disappear in a massive cloud of black smoke and fire. The barrage didn't stop, every vehicle unloading everything they had and more. Eventually, the barrage ceased and the military forces waited. The black could of smoke soon dissipated and Apocalypse appeared unharmed and within a sphere of energy that vanished into thin air.

Calm and collected, Apocalypse simply uttered, "My turn!"

The Abrams tanks aimed and fired on Apocalypse, only this time, the projectiles never came close to him. Apocalypse held one hand out and with a mere thought, turned the projectiles back toward the tanks. The projectiles forcefully impacted the tanks, blowing them apart in balls of flame. The Apaches quickly opened fire with heat seekers, all of which were locked on Apocalypse. Apocalypse quickly moved out of the way and let the missiles pass, knowing that they would quickly turn around. The missiles did exactly that, turning sharply in midair and coming right for Apocalypse. The mutant warlord held both arms out, and the missiles straight path became erratic. They flailed wildly through the air until they collided with each other, producing an explosive display of fire. Apocalypse turned his attention back to the Apaches and held his right out. His arm seemed to change shape into some sort of radically advanced dual barreled cannon. Apocalypse took aim and fired on the Apaches, quickly reducing them into mangled, fiery wrecks.

Watching from atop the Sphinx, Essex silently commented, "Very impressive!"

Apocalypse watched as the destroyed Apaches crumbled down to the ground before his attention was diverted to the A-10s. The jets came right for the warlord with gun blazing, and unlike the missiles, managed to put Apocalypse on the defensive. The offensive did in fact force Apocalypse back several feet, but that was all it did. The attack didn't leave a scratch, but it did made Apocalypse angry. Using his considerably impressive mutant powers, Apocalypse willed the Warthogs into colliding with each other. With most of the military forces reduced to nothing, Apocalypse turned away but was caught in the back by one remaining Abrams tank, which of course earned the rogue tank the ire of the mutant warlord. The tank fired another shot, only for Apocalypse to simply swat it away. Apocalypse outstretched his right arm again and the tank was lifted off the ground. With a subtle turn of the wrist, Apocalypse used his power to literally disassemble the entire tank piece by piece. Each and every component floated away from each other before Apocalypse quickly closed his hand. That one single motion caused every piece of the tank to close in on each other, reducing it into a sphere of twisted steel. Apocalypse returned to the top of the Sphinx just as the Four Horsemen appeared on the horizon. As his minions circled the Sphinx like vultures, Apocalypse could sense others coming from afar. Descending from the swirling black clouds, an advanced helicopter hovered overhead, creating a vortex of sand. Apocalypse knew immediately of the contingent of mutants with the vehicle.

"Martyrs," he said. "They would dare stand against my power, and so they shall suffer."

* * *

From the cockpit of the Velocity, the X-Men and the Brotherhood received their first glimpse of Apocalypse through a video screen. "Is _that_ Apocalypse?" Iceman asked in shock.

Shadowcat then asked, "What's he done to himself?"

"You ever see anything like this, Beast?" Wolverine asked the blue furred mutant.

"Nothing that even closely resembles this." Beat answered right away.

"I have! This is exactly what I saw in the visions," Emma stated. "We're looking at a precursor of things to come, according to Apocalypse."

"Then we're already too late?" Iceman wondered.

Defiant, Storm shook her head and said, "No! This Age of Apocalypse? We won't let it happen. We can't!"

* * *

The Velocity's ramp opened and the X-Men and the Brotherhood stormed out into the open. Each and every one of them now had a perfect view of Apocalypse and his Horsemen, the former standing atop the Sphinx and the latter circling around it. Wolverine, Storm, Beast and Emma took the frontline, while Rogue, Gambit, Iceman, Jubilee and Shadowcat took up the rear. The Brotherhood followed suit, Pyro and Domino at the head of the pack while Avalanche, Blink, Quicksilver and Polaris followed up behind them. Lightening streaked across the sky, and the black cloud swirled around above the Sphinx. Wolverine and Storm turned toward the group of mutants, and they could easily see the apprehension in their faces.

"Any last minute advice?" Storm asked.

Wolverine glanced at Storm, then back at the group before stepping toward them. "We're not gonna lie to any of you; some of us might not make it out of this alive."

"Everything we know is on the line," Storm added. "The life of every human and mutant, every man, woman and child, hangs by a thread."

"So this do or die," Wolverine announced loud. "Either we stop Apocalypse here and now, or we go down fighting."

The X-Men nodded, knowing that possibility of survival was slim to none at best. Regardless, they each readied themselves for the coming battle. Wolverine extended his claws. Storm's eyes became white as snow as she rose into the air. Beast went into a crouched position, ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Emma and Iceman took on their diamond and ice forms respectively. Jubilee and Shadowcat stood side by side, while Rogue pounded her fist together. Gambit pulled out his staff and held it in one hand, while he also held three fully charged playing cards in the other. He glanced over at Rogue, and she glanced back. Gambit simply nodded. Following suit of the X-Men, the Brotherhood readied themselves as well. Domino had her guns locked and loaded, while Avalanche cracked his knuckles. Blink pulled out a series of javelins, while Polaris and Quicksilver stood their ground. Pyro, though reluctant, activated his palm lighter and waited for the call to strike. Atop the Sphinx, the Horsemen stopped circling as Apocalypse examined the group of mutants ready to challenge. Essex approached from the side.

"My lord, it seems as though they don't fully understand what it is that they face." Essex said.

"That they do not," Apocalypse agreed and rose into the air. "Mutants," he called out to the group below. "Your lives are short and of little importance to me, but I am not without mercy. I deliver to you an ultimatum: submission or oblivion. What say you?"

Down below, Wolverine and Storm exchanged glances and Wolverine shouted, "Piss off!"

"Then you leave me no choice. You exist only because I allow, and you shall end because I demand it." Apocalypse announced.

On the command of Apocalypse, the Four Horsemen descended toward the waiting battlefield. The X-Men and Brotherhood waited anxiously for their foes to make the first move. As it had been doing, lightening violently streak through the darkened sky. Storm looked to her side at the younger members of the team, and a sense of Daja Vu hit her like a tidal wave. The moment felt eerily similar to Alcatraz. Storm turned to Wolverine, who felt the same way. The Four Horsemen descended further before they dispersed to either side of the field, Famine and War to the left, and Pestilence and Archangel to the right. The figurative line in the sand was now drawn.

His Horsemen ready for the kill, Apocalypse finally commanded, "Horsemen, eradicate the vermin!"

To Be Continued…

* * *

Author's Note: As I said in the disclaimer, this was originally intended to a be three part event, but now has been upgraded to four. That being said, Pt. II has been brought to a close. Pt. III is of course on the horizon so stay tuned. Let me know what you think so far. See ya!


	18. Age of Apocalypse Pt III

Disclaimer: As I said previously, the AOA Saga was originally to be a three part event, but as of now it's been upgraded to four parts. I keep you posted if that changes. Anyway, I don't own the rights to X-Men.

* * *

Chapter XVIII  
Age of Apocalypse Pt. III

Come the End of Days

As the future of the world hung in the balance, the Four Horsemen made the first move against the X-Men and the Brotherhood. War attacked first with a massive wall of fire, forcing the teams to disperse to either side for safety. Famine was next to attack with a sudden burst of gale force winds. This attack kicked a wall of sand into the air. The X-Men/Brotherhood team was forced to take cover among the wreckage of destroyed military vehicles.

"Not exactly how I wanted to start this fight!" Wolverine said to Storm.

"We need a plan, Wolverine," Storm stated. "We're sitting ducks down here."

"Yeah, I know," Wolverine snapped. "There're fifteen of us and four of them. Let's split up; you, me and Beast each take four others and we start kickin' ass."

Having overheard Wolverine's plan of attack, Pyro shouted, "To hell with that! I'll do this myself."

Beast attempted to stop Pyro, shouting, "Pyro, don't!"

Pyro refused to listen and literally sprinted toward the first Horseman he saw. It was Pestilence, who showed hardly any amusement at the charging mutant. Pyro stopped short of his intended target and unleashed his own inferno. The fire engulfed Pestilence in moments, after which Pyro believe he'd single-handedly wiped her out. Pestilence emerged from the fire hardly even singed and then summoned a wave of sand. The sand wave was barreling right for Pyro before Iceman tackled him to safety. Both former friends hit the sand with a thud.

"You owe me big time, Pyro!" Iceman snapped.

Pyro kicked Iceman away and snapped back, "I don't owe you shit."

As the fire and ice themed rivals bickered, neither of them saw Archangel flying right for them. The former X-Man stopped short and launched a string of adamantium feathers. Iceman and Pyro turned just in time to notice, but had next to no time to avoid. Thankfully, Shadowcat intervened and grabbed both of them. The feathers passed right through the trio and then Shadowcat phased down through the sand. She reappeared with Pyro and Iceman among the rest of the group. Pyro pushed Shadowcat away, only to be grabbed violently by Wolverine.

"Next time, listen," he shouted and shoved Pyro away. "We got a plan and we're stickin' to it. You got a problem with that?"

Pyro didn't bother answering the question, mainly because in hindsight, Wolverine scared him. The arguing now finished, the group divided into teams of five. Wolverine led his team of Rogue, Avalanche, Domino and Gambit against Famine. Storm led her group, consisting of Blink, Polaris, Iceman and Pyro against Pestilence. This left Beast's team of Shadowcat, Quicksilver, Jubilee and Emma to face off against War and Archangel. Watching from atop the Sphinx, Apocalypse surveyed the scene and Essex approached his master.

"It seems they believe they actually have a chance, my lord," he said. "All the same, shall I render my assistance to the Horsemen?"

"You are to remain at my side, Essex," Apocalypse said. "Should the desire arise, I shall send you into battle."

Though a bit annoyed, Essex said, "As you wish, my lord."

Down below, the three team leaders exchanged looked between each other, all the while waiting for one of the Horsemen to make their next move. Archangel fired the first shot, literally, with a series of adamantium feathers hurtling toward Beast's group. Emma, still in her diamond form, stepped in front of the group and blocked the projectiles. War approached hard and fast and unleashed an inferno right at Jubilee. Jubilee had next to no time to move before Quicksilver rushed in and saved her. War continued his assault on the fast moving target, unaware of Shadowcat appearing with Beast directly below him. Beast leaped into the air as high as he could manage and made a grab for the War's fiery steed. It was a mistake in more ways than one. As soon as Beast took hold of the horse, he just as quickly let after burning his hand. Beast hit the sandy ground, and War turned his attention to the fallen X-Man. Another inferno came down, but Shadowcat reemerged and slipped out of sight with Beast. The two reappeared with the rest of the group, and Beast shook his hand in searing pain.

"Beast, are you okay?" Shadowcat said.

"I'm fine, but don't touch the horse! It's red hot," Beast informed. "We have to knock him off."

"Consider it done!" Jubilee shouted.

Without hesitation, Jubilee unleashed a barrage of sparks on War. Though the attack hardly did any damage, it certainly proved to be distracting to the Horseman. Jubilee continued the assault while Beast attempted a second leap. This time, the blue furred X-Man tackled War off his horse and they plummeted to the ground. War kicked Beast but was soon under high speed assault from Quicksilver. The ultra fast mutant scored several direct hits before Archangel intervened with another aerial attack. War saw an opening and unleashed another inferno, only for Emma to block the attack. Eventually, War's red horse descended and War quickly mounted it and returned to the sky.

Meanwhile, Storm's team had their collective hands full dealing with Pestilence. Iceman shot a barrage of icicles at the Horseman, while Storm unleashed a lightening strike. Polaris used her magnetic powers to lift some debris from the previous military assault. As soon as she started hurtling projectiles, Pyro immediately lit them in mid air. Pestilence easily avoided the projectiles, but she seemingly didn't count on Blink appeared right above her. Blink grabbed hold of Pestilence from behind, only for Pestilence to throw her off. Blink ended up colliding right into Storm and both crashed into the ground below. Undeterred in watching, Polaris lifted more of the twisted metal around the field and hurled it all at the Horseman. Again, Pestilence avoided the attack and unleashed a massive sand wave toward Polaris. Blink quickly teleported into the fray, grabbed Polaris and teleported away just in time. Iceman created an ice slide and took to the air, circling around Pestilence while attempting to freeze her in mid air. The plan seemed to work, for about a second, before Pestilence broke her icy prison into fragments. The shear force threw Iceman off his slide and he went plummeting to the ground. Luckily, Storm created a whirlwind to break Iceman's fall. It still didn't stop Iceman from face planting the sand.

Pulling his head up and coughing up sand, Iceman exclaimed, "Um, this isn't working!"

Pyro then said in pure sarcasm, "Oh really, you think?"

As Storm's team regrouped, Wolverine's group were heavily busy dealing with Famine. Wolverine glanced toward the top of the Sphinx at Apocalypse. What was he waiting for, he wondered? So focused was Wolverine at Apocalypse that he didn't see Famine diving right toward him. Luckily, Rogue flew in and tackled Wolverine out of the way just in time. Famine ended up slamming into the ground, which erupted in a wall and sand.

"Ya alright?" Rogue asked.

Wolverine shook his had in disbelief as Rogue's action. "I think that's the hardest I've ever been hit in my life."

Rogue and Wolverine didn't have much time to talk. Famine was groundside, still on horseback. The Horseman unleashed another gale force wind right at the duo. Wolverine threw Rogue to the side and took the brunt of the attack. Famine was about to attack Rogue next until the ground around her began to shake violently. Famine turned toward the source of the disturbance, spotting Avalanche in the distance. Avalanche focused his attack on the ground, causing a large enough tremor to force Famine off horseback. Famine hit the ground hard, and Avalanche continued the relentless shake up. It wouldn't be nearly enough to stop Famine, who unleashed yet another attack that threw Avalanche off his feet. Before Famine could follow up, she came under attack by the collective attacks of Gambit and Domino. Domino unloaded her high powered guns on the Horseman, but the attacks hardly had any effect at all. Before Famine could retaliate, Gambit tossed a series of explosive playing cards. Unlike Domino's attacks, the explosive seem to find their mark and drove Famine back several steps. Feeling confident, Gambit brandished his staff to full length and charged right at the Famine. The Cajun immediately went on the offensive, swinging his staff wildly. Famine blocked every blow until Gambit stopped and glanced at his staff. It had been reduced to a quarter of its original length.

"Gotta be kiddin' me!" Gambit exclaimed.

Before Famine could retaliate in any way, Wolverine immediately pounced on her from behind. Wolverine quickly and ferociously slashed at the Horseman's back until Famine grabbed hold of him. Famine threw Wolverine up and over her and Wolverine flew right into Gambit. This time, Rogue flew in and started throwing extremely stiff blows to Famine's face. The blows were finding their mark, driving Famine several steps before Famine produced another gale force wind. Rogue was tossed aside and just barely righted herself in mid air. Upon reaching the stalemate, Gambit glanced to some the Apache wreckage and it sparked an idea.

"Rogue!" he called out.

Having heard Gambit, Rogue flew to the Cajun and asked, "What? You got an idea?"

"Somethin' like that," Gambit said, all the while charging a piece of debris. "How's your throwin' arm?"

Rogue knew immediately what Gambit meant and let him finish charging the soon-to-be explosive projectile. In the meantime, Famine returned to her signature black horse and took to the sky. Domino bought some time for Gambit to finish charging the debris, shooting at Famine as she rose toward the sky. Famine turned and began diving right for the group. Wolverine hustled toward Gambit and Rogue. Gambit had just finished charging the debris.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!" Wolverine snapped.

"It's done," Gambit shouted and backed off, while Rogue immediately took the projectile into the air. Gambit quickly shouted, "Fire in the hole!"

Rogue tossed the projectile as hard as she possibly could right at the oncoming Horseman. Famine tried to dodge to the side but it was already too late. The projectile detonated in mid air right in front of the Horseman. The explosion catapulted Famine right off her horse, which dissipated into nothing. Famine crashed into the ground, leaving a trail behind her as she slid across the sand and came to a stop. Apocalypse looked down at his minion as she lay unmoving. He showed no sign whatsoever of sympathy for the fallen Horseman.

"How disappointing!" he silently said.

"Shall I render my assistance now, master?" Essex asked.

Apocalypse simply answered, "Not yet!

Essex was growing impatient but didn't dare attempt to defy Apocalypse. Meanwhile, Archangel launched a near endless barrage on Beast's group. Beast had little chance of attacking the airborne Horseman, instead staying on the move at all times. Shadowcat also stayed mobile, using her phasing power to avoid being skewed. Jubilee was almost skewered herself before Quicksilver rushed her to safety and Emma remained in diamond form and blocked the feathers. She didn't see War coming up from behind her and preparing to incinerate her. Emma eventually did notice War and dodged an oncoming blaze, not that it would've killed her anyway while in diamond form. All the same, Emma was now being severely double teamed by War and Archangel.

"I could use some here, please!" she shouted.

As if her prayers were heard, Quicksilver and Jubilee returned to the fight. Quicksilver immediately got beneath Archangel and started running in circles as fast as possible. The rapid movement conjured up a whirlwind that caught Archangel right away. At the same time, Jubilee shot a barrage of sparks at War. The attack distracted War long enough for Beast to pounce on him. They collided and fell to the ground as they had done before and Beast quickly leapt away. As War began to rise up, Shadowcat appeared behind him and grabbed before phasing back into the ground. Beast quickly returned and began pounding War mercilessly. Then in an uncharacteristic manner, Beast took War's head and quickly and violent turned it. A sickening snap followed, and that itself was followed by a primal roar from Beast. Shadowcat reappeared next to Beast and was clearly shocked by his savagery. Beast exchanged the exact same look of shock.

"I thought Wolverine was vicious," Shadowcat said. Then she shouted, "Look out!"

Shadowcat grabbed hold of Beast just in time to allow random feathers from Archangel to phase right through them. Archangel had been launching his projectile in every direction, trying to catch the still moving Quicksilver off guard. He eventually succeeded when one of his feathers slashed Quicksilver in the leg. Quicksilver collided with Emma, leaving Jubilee alone to face Archangel by herself. Jubilee readied herself for the next attack, but she suddenly froze. She put her hand up to fire more sparks but she simply couldn't pull the figurative trigger. Archangel showed no such hesitation and shot off more feathers. Emma intervened at the last minute and blocked the projectile.

"Jubilee, you have to fight." Emma

Jubilee was conflicted beyond belief. "I can't do it, Emma. I just can't fight Angel."

"You said it yourself; that's not Angel anymore," Emma pointed out. "We need you, Jubilee. There's too much at stake."

Jubilee was as conflicted as anyone could possibly hope to be. She knew what had to be done, but was too hesitant to follow through. Archangel still proved relentless and continued his barrage. There was no way Emma could sustain the defensive for much longer. Jubilee had to act now, and she did just that. She unleashed a stream of sparks that scored a direct hit to Archangel's chest. Archangel fell fast to the ground and crashed with a giant thud. Jubilee sank to her knees and was breathing shallow. All the while, Apocalypse was becoming rather unimpressed by the unforeseen turn of events.

"Hm, I expected better of my Horsemen." he said.

Apocalypse continued to survey the battle from afar. Meanwhile, Storm's group continued to battle Pestilence. Storm began spinning her body as fast as possible, and she created a whirlwind that was barreling right for Pestilence. The whirlwind didn't work as planned; Pestilence cut right through it and knocked Storm out of the sky. Storm was able to right herself. Polaris continued hurling anything metal at Pestilence, only for Pestilence to sheer her way right through the projectiles. She wasn't prepared to come under attack from Blink. Blink teleported right in front of the Horseman, struck her directly in the face and then vanished. Blink reappeared behind Pestilence, kicked her in the back of her head and vanished. This offense was repeated over and over again until Pestilence caught Blink and tossed her to the ground. Luckily, Blink teleported safely to the ground. Pyro rushed right in and attempted to incinerate Pestilence, but Pestilence somehow deflect the fireball right back at him. Pyro instinctively braced for impact but the attack never came. The hotheaded mutant felt slightly cold and realized that there was a sheet of ice over him. Pyro, annoyed, looked toward Iceman but then noticed Pestilence conjuring another wave of sand. For that one split second, Pyro wanted to watch Iceman die, but instead sprinted right for Iceman. Pyro tackled Icemen to the ground just second before the wave struck him.

"Now we're even, Iceman!" Pyro snapped.

Iceman threw Pyro off and snapped back, "Who's counting?"

Pyro and Iceman stood up and exchanged menacing glares at each other. Then they noticed Pestilence coming right toward them. The rivals kept glaring between themselves and the oncoming Horseman. Then, Iceman and Pyro simply shrugged and unleashed fire and ice attacks on Pestilence. Pestilence stopped dead and blocked the dual attacks. Iceman and Pyro increased their attack and were soon after joined by Storm, who unleashed a massive lightening strike. Try as she might, Pestilence was eventually overwhelmed by the three mutants and plummeted lifelessly to the ground and didn't move further. All the while, Archangel recovered and returned to Apocalypse's side.

"Apologies, my lord," Archangel pleaded with the warlord. "The Horsemen have fallen."

"Indeed they have, my Angel of Death," Apocalypse stated all while still showing little to no emotion whatsoever. "Perhaps, I have underestimated these mutant martyrs," Apocalypse began to levitate into the air. "But now, they have forced my hand."

Wolverine caught sight of Apocalypse descending from above and cursed, "Aw, shit," He quickly turned toward all others team members and shouted, "Storm, Beast, everybody regroup on my position, now!"

On instinct, the rest of the X-Men and Brotherhood did indeed regroup with Wolverine's team. Every member of the group prepared themselves for the eventually attack from Apocalypse. All the while, Apocalypse levitated lower toward the group before stopping dead center. The X-Men and Brotherhood waited for what was to come and enormous bolts of lightening streaked through the sky.

"Mutants, I offered you the chance of subjugation under my rule, and yet you have chosen to die at my hand," Apocalypse bellowed in an ever self-important tone. "So you have chosen, so shall it be!"

To Be Continued…

* * *

Author's note: That's it for Pt III of the AOA Saga. Worry not, for Pt. IV is on the horizon. Stay tuned and don't forget to give me you thoughts. See ya soon, ya little dingbats! (^_^)


	19. Age of Apocalypse Pt IV

Disclaimer: This is Part IV and the finale of the Age of Apocalypse Saga but not the final chapter of the story in general. As usual, I don't own the rights to X-Men.

* * *

Chapter XIX  
Age of Apocalypse Pt IV

A Sacrifice Made

As the swirling black cloud rendered the landscape nearly pitch black, it was Apocalypse who would make the first move. The immortal mutant warlord immediately morphed his right arm into an advanced cannon and fired on the X-Men/Brotherhood team below. Every one of them scattered in random directions as the ground burst in front of them, and then Storm quickly unleashed an immense bolt of electricity. Pyro and Iceman followed suit with an inferno and blizzard combination. Unlike the fallen Horseman Pestilence, Apocalypse was not only able to block the combined powers, he redirected them. Instinctively, Blink teleported up and grabbed Storm and teleported away, while Shadowcat grabbed Iceman and Pyro and phased through the ground. Gambit began hurling every available playing card he had, each and every detonating around Apocalypse. Domino unloaded her guns as rapidly as she could manage. As before, Apocalypse blocked the attempts as they proved more annoying than dangerous. Apocalypse eventually reached ground level and Avalanche stepped up to face him. Avalanche generated as big a quake he'd ever done. Again, Apocalypse redirected the quake back at Avalanche, who was immediately saved by Quicksilver. The rest of the group, led collectively by Wolverine and Beast, charged at the warlord. As he had done in their previous encounter, Apocalypse simply brushed them all aside as though they were nothing.

"No challenge at all!" Apocalypse mocked, only to be assaulted moments later by a large metal object, courtesy of Polaris.

Apocalypse, having hardly been bothered at all by the attack, turned his rage to Polaris. Polaris began to back away, but she continued using her magnetic power to hurl anything metal at the warlord. Apocalypse cast aside every projectile that came close, all the while stalking Polaris. Just as Apocalypse was about to grasp Polaris, Wolverine lunged at Apocalypse from behind and slashed madly into his back. The slashing hardly left any marks at all. All the slashing managed to do was further annoy Apocalypse, who grabbed Wolverine and tossing him hard into Beast.

Beast and Wolverine recovered quickly and Beast commented, "Well, this isn't going well!"

"What was you first clue?" Wolverine sarcastically asked.

Apocalypse continued his single handed domination of the X-Men/Brotherhood team. Storm, Iceman and Pyro again combine their powers, this time joined by Jubilee, in a second attempt to keep Apocalypse at bay. Again, Apocalypse simply cast them all aside as though they nothing. Apocalypse then morphed his left arm into some sort of pile driver-like device. He very quickly extended the device straight ahead, forcing any of the group members to scatter, except for Emma. Still in her diamond form, Emma took the brunt of the attack, was sent sailing across the field. Apocalypse levitate back into the air and hovered over the fallen telepath ready to deliver the killing blow. Suddenly, Rogue flew right in and waylaid the warlord right in the face. Beast and Wolverine ran to Emma's side and checked her while Rogue fought off Apocalypse.

"She's alright, just unconscious!" Beast said.

"Get her to safety," Wolverine ordered. "We'll hold off Apocalypse."

Beast nodded, picked up the unconscious Emma and leaped off. Wolverine remained to fight, only to be amazed upon watching Rogue hold her own again Apocalypse. Hell, the girl was single handedly driving the warlord back. With Apocalypse stunned for the moment, Rogue quickly rushed down and picked the tail end of one of the destroyed Apaches. Gambit lent his assistance by charging the weapon before Rogue took it up with her. When Apocalypse recovered, Rogue took a mighty swing with the charged weapon. There followed an explosion, as to be expected whenever Gambit was involved. The explosion threw Rogue in one direction, her body giving off smoke. She waited for a moment before Apocalypse reemerged from the cloud of fire and grabbed her.

"You are strong, child," he said. "Perhaps you shall serve me well as my next Horseman."

"Go…to…Hell…" Rogue snarled one word after another. "…Asshole!"

Before Apocalypse could do anything more, Gambit began bombarding him with more exploding cards. "Get your filthy hands off my woman!"

Apocalypse tossed Rogue aside and focused now his wrath on the interfering Cajun. Gambit wasn't backing up, instead throwing every available explosive card he had. Apocalypse created a barrier to block the projectile, all the while inching closer to Gambit. Now Gambit had to back up but he wouldn't stop attacking, even as he was running out of cards. He eventually did run out of cards, and the warlord continued his steady advance. Before Apocalypse could continue, Avalanche conjured up another quake. This time around, the ground literally burst into the air and raced right for Apocalypse. It never came close. Apocalypse simply waved his hand and the quake dissipated. Avalanche tried yet another quake that raced toward the warlord. This time, Apocalypse outstretched his arms and again redirected the quake back at Avalanche.

Avalanche commented, "Aw crap!"

Avalanche rolled out of the way moments before the quake raced passed him and ended. He thought he was safe, but then Apocalypse lifted him into the air. Much like what was the fate of the late Multiple Man, Avalanche quickly vanished into oblivion, all the while screaming in pain. Domino had seen the whole thing, mouth agape at having to watch a Brotherhood member and friend die in such a way. Taking up arms, Domino fired on Apocalypse with everything she had. The gunfire hardly made a dent in Apocalypse's defense and only served to gain his attention. Apocalypse hovered toward Domino, who was backing up while still shooting relentlessly. Suddenly, Apocalypse telepathically pulled the guns out of Domino's hand, aimed and fired. Domino attempted to dodge but was struck several times regardless. She collapsed and Apocalypse trained the guns on the fallen femme fatale, one aimed right at Domino's face. Before the shot was taken, Quicksilver sped in, picked up Domino and raced away. Quicksilver stopped half a mile away and laid Domino down.

"Domino, talk to me!" he pleaded.

Domino was breathing very shallow. "Sorry, Pietro! I… I tried!

That was all Domino could say before her head slumped to the side and she went limp. Quicksilver didn't have time to mourn his fallen friend. Apocalypse was approaching, with a piece of iron debris flouting in the air beside. He hurled it hard and fast, but Polaris stepped right into the fray the last minute and halted the projectile dead. She attempted to hurl it back at Apocalypse, but the warlord was clearly too powerful and won the toss. Quicksilver rushed in and grabbed Polaris before rushing away. Before Apocalypse could give chase, Pyro returned and attempted to incinerate him. Iceman and Jubilee joined him, as did a recovered Storm and they unleashed varying ranged attacks. Again, Apocalypse blocked every attack and then slapped his hands together. The resultant shock wave through the attacking group to the ground, knocking them out. Blink appeared right above Apocalypse, pouncing on him. She attempted to stab the warlord with a javelin in hopes of teleporting Apocalypse away, preferably into space or the Earth's core. Apocalypse swiftly grabbed Blink from behind him, bringing her face to face with him. There followed an audible snap, and Apocalypse allowed Blink's now lifeless body to drop to the ground.

"I grow weary of this pointless tedium," Apocalypse announced as he levitate toward the Sphinx, where Essex was waiting with Vertigo and Archangel. "Finish them!"

Essex bowed to Apocalypse and said, "As you wish, my lord!"

Apocalypse levitated down to the forelegs of the Sphinx, where the entrance into the tomb remained. Essex, Vertigo and Archangel dropped to the ground as Apocalypse went down into the tomb. Across the field, Wolverine, Beast, Shadowcat, Rogue and Gambit rushed in to help the rest of the team to recover. Storm eventually came to and caught a brief glimpse of Apocalypse entering the tomb. Quicksilver and Polaris returned to assist the group.

"Where's he going?" Storm asked.

Wolverine glanced toward the Sphinx and said, "No idea, but I doubt we're gonna like it!"

Before they knew what hit them, the X-Men and the remaining Brotherhood members felt there whole world turning upside down. Vertigo was the cause of the discomfort, throwing the entire group right off their game. Wolverine, to his credit, attempted to make a lunge for Vertigo but the vibe was too much for even him to endure. Gambit tried to charge a card but he couldn't focus, and Shadowcat couldn't concentrate enough to disappear into the sand. Vertigo focused even harder, but she failed to account for Emma Frost to return to the battle. Emma focused as hard as she could manage and assaulted Vertigo with a series of mental pulses. As strong as Vertigo was, she was no match for Emma and eventually slumped to the ground. Storm took immediate notice of Emma.

"Where've you been?" she asked.

"Resting," Emma sarcastically quipped. "I'm good now!"

Storm cocked an eyebrow before shouting, "Watch out!" Emma ducked as Storm shot a lightening bolt at the oncoming Archangel.

* * *

As the battle continued outside, Apocalypse returned the antechamber that once housed three of his fallen Horsemen. The technologically advanced chair and console remained untouched since it was last used by Apocalypse to reach his ascension. Now, the very same technology that empowered him would serve yet another purpose. Apocalypse sat in the chair as if he'd never left it. As before, the hieroglyphics that lined the walls began pulsating and slowly converged on the miniature pyramid. Apocalypse himself began to pulsating in the same blue hue as the glyphs. The process would be slow, but the end result would see the world changed forever. Changed, in the very image of Apocalypse!

"On this day," Apocalypse said to himself. "The Age of Apocalypse begins!"

* * *

Massive bolts of lightening began streaking across the darkened skies all over the world. They were most prominent in Egypt as Archangel continued his relentless assault against his former friends. The group scattered in random directions, and Pyro made a desperate attempt to burn the former X-Man. Archangel blocked the fireball with his metal wings, and then fired right back with more feathers. Quicksilver bolted in and grabbed Pyro, and then Polaris took magnetically took hold of the feathers. She redirected them right back at Archangel, who blocked them and simply sent twice as many right back at Polaris. Not even Polaris could stop all of the feathers in time. She wouldn't have to. Shadowcat appeared and took hold of Polaris, in the process letting the projectiles pass right through them. Iceman stepped up and tried freezing Archangel in the air, but Archangel dodged the blast and dive bombed right into Iceman. The impact sent Iceman slamming into Beast and Gambit.

Meanwhile, Wolverine had his hands (and claws) full trying to deal with Essex. Essex proved to be formidable, somehow managing to outmaneuver the ferocious assault of Wolverine. Storm intervened with a lightening strike, but Essex was moving too quickly for there to be a direct hit. Anytime either of them managed to strike Essex, his body would simply heal itself. Wolverine attempted a wild pounce, and Essex swiftly drove his knee into his gut. Essex then grasped Wolverine and tossed him right into Storm, knocking both of them of the sky.

"This is too easy!" Essex quipped.

Then he felt a massive jolt in his head. Essex turned toward the source that could only be Emma Frost attempting a barrage of mental pulses. They hit their marks but hardly slowed Essex down. Essex held his hand to the side, focused and formed a small sphere of red energy. Emma continued her mental assault just as Essex reared back and tossed the energy sphere. She stopped and took on diamond form just miniscule second before the sphere collided with her. It was still strong enough to launch Emma clear across the battle field. Essex spotted Archangel still tangling with the other mutants and a sick crept onto his face. Out of nowhere, Essex was suddenly thrown hard to the ground by Rogue.

"We got a score to settle, Essex!" she snapped.

Essex was picking himself up from the ground, a red sphere in his hand. "Indeed we do, my dear!"

Rogue, in a manner similar to Archangel, dive bombed right toward Essex. Essex was ready and hurled his projectile at Rogue. But something happened that Essex didn't anticipate; Rogue actually caught the attack and hurled it right back at Essex. Essex had little to no time to avoid his own attack. He made for a quick dodge, but the resultant explosion threw him to the ground face first. Rogue waited for Essex to move but he didn't, and she turned her attention to Archangel. He was dominating the other group and most of them were down and out save for one; Jubilee. Archangel was stalking down toward her, and Jubilee was again hesitant to attack.

"Angel, I'm begging you! Don't do this!" she pleaded, though Archangel didn't seem to hear her or care. "Please, Warren! I love you!"

For a slight moment, a very split second, it seemed as if Jubilee was getting through to Archangel. Then he tensed up, determined to follow through with his attack. Determined to kill the one person that meant everything to him! Archangel readied his wings for the kill, and Jubilee sank into despair. Then Rogue bolted right up behind Archangel and grasped his face, with her bare hands. As expected, Rogue could feel herself absorbing Archangel's abilities and memories, and at the same time, Archangel was growing weaker by the second. Rogue's skin became a pale blue for a moment before both she and Archangel crashed into the sand. Rogue fell further off from Archangel, prompting Gambit to come to her side.

"Rogue, Rogue," he begged. "C'mon, petite, talk to me!"

Rogue opened her eyes to glimpse Gambit and jokingly said, "Damn, I hate you, swamp rat!"

Gambit smiled and said, "Now, I know you don't mean that!"

Archangel was starting to move, but something felt different. He could barely recall anything up to the that point. The last thing he remembered was being strapped to a table with tubes embedded into his back. He looked around and realized he was in Egypt, the black clouds hanging overhead. Archangel looked over his shoulder and was shocked at seeing the adamantium wings on his back. Then his heart sank upon seeing Jubilee on the ground.

"Dear lord, what've I done," he finally wondered in horror. Archangel rushed to Jubilee's side and cradled her head in his arms. "Jubilee, it me! It's Warren. Say something, anything!"

Jubilee could hear Warren, not Archangel, speaking to her and she opened her eyes. She smiled and whispered, "My Angel! I knew you'd come back to me."

Warren had a small tear streaming from his eye. But then the joy was quickly replaced by an overwhelming surge of pain. Warren fell to the ground, smoke smoldering from his body. Jubilee cradled the fallen angel and then turned toward the source of the attack. Unsurprisingly, it was Essex as he was still sporting that demented grin.

"How sweet! The young lovers back together," he callously mocked. "I'll be sure to bury the both of you beneath the sand."

Jubilee glanced at Warren, his face cringing, and then she glared at Essex. Essex was stalking closer to his prey. He formed another energy ball, ready to deliver the killing blow. All he needed was one shot. A shot did come, but not from Essex. The shot came from a deeply enraged Jubilee, as she caught Essex dead on right in the left shoulder. She rested Warren to the ground and stood straight up to face Essex head on.

"That's it," she snarled, all the while removing the gloves of her uniform. "The gloves are off!"

Essex's shoulder began to slowly regenerate, but Jubilee unleashed a huge blast of sparks. The attack caught Essex squarely on the right side of his abdomen. Jubilee unleashed another blast right into Essex's left leg, causing Essex to drop to a knee. Then another to the right arm. Each blast was preventing Essex from regenerating, and then he spotted Vertigo regaining consciousness.

"Vertigo," he called out in agony. "Help me!"

Vertigo glanced at Jubilee and saw the rage in her eyes, and finally said, "I like you, but not that much!"

Essex watch in despair as Vertigo high tailed it from the battle field. "Traitor!" he shouted before yet another blast rocked him.

"You aren't so dangerous when you're not in control, huh," Jubilee snapped and blasted Essex again. "How does it feel to be the victim, Essex?" She blasted Essex again and again and again, ripping his body apart piece by piece.

Essex was losing pieces of himself and he began pleading, "Please, child. Show some mercy."

"Mercy?! You want mercy? Here's your mercy," Jubilee blasted Essex repeatedly, each blast accompanied by venomous words. "Stay. Away. From. My. Friends."

Jubilee unleashed one final, devastatingly sustained blast on Essex. It looked as if Essex was actually melting and then a loud explosion followed. The resultant blast saw Essex literally blown into fragments. Jubilee ceased her attack and sank to her knees. She looked at her hands. They were shaking and smoldering. Jubilee gave Essex no further thought and turned toward Warren, but he wasn't where Jubilee left him. She found him back in the air, flying toward the Sphinx and gave chase.

"Where're she going," Storm wondered upon seeing Jubilee chase after Warren. "She can't possibly fight Apocalypse alone."

"I'm going after her," Wolverine announced. "Everyone stay together!"

"Wolverine!" Storm called out, too late to stop him.

Gambit and Rogue also noticed Wolverine's advance toward the Sphinx and Gambit commented, "He be outta his mind!"

"He ain't goin' in there alone." Rogue stated and flew after him.

"Rogue, he said to stay together," Gambit shouted. "Dammit!"

* * *

Everything was nearly ready for Apocalypse to usher his new age. All that remained was the final cleansing of the world of all weakness. But Apocalypse sensed that Essex had fallen, Vertigo had abandoned the battle and Archangel had regained his freedom. In the latter case, Archangel was coming for Apocalypse. Let him come, the warlord mused. He could watch first hand as the world would be forever changed.

"Apocalypse!" yelled the familiar voice of a very vengeful mutant.

Apocalypse opened his crimson eyes to spot Archangel entering the antechamber. "My Angel of Death."

Archangel stopped just short of the pyramid in which Apocalypse sat. "You did this to me. You took away my freedom, and made me fight my loved ones."

"I saved you, liberated you and made you more powerful than you could ever imagine," Apocalypse stated and rose from his chair. "I blessed you with ultimate power, and you reward me with defiance?"

Archangel didn't give Apocalypse the benefit of an answer. Instead he launched a string of feathers right at the warlord. Apocalypse quickly morphed his left arm into a shield, blocking the initial onslaught. Then he morphed his right arm into a pile driver and launched it right at Archangel. Archangel dodged the attack and launched more feathers, this time striking Apocalypse in the shoulder. It hardly slowed Apocalypse, and he morphed his left arm into a cannon. He fired at Archangel, who again dodged the attack before diving right for Apocalypse.

"Petulant fool," Apocalypse shouted before swiftly grasping Archangel. "You shall answer for this betrayal."

"Let him go!" A frantic Jubilee called out before blasting Apocalypse.

Clearly not amused, Apocalypse announced, "You would dare strike me, child?"

Apocalypse morphed his free arm back into the cannon and opened fire on Jubilee. Wolverine appeared and tackled Jubilee out of the way right on time. Apocalypse tossed Archangel aside, into the pyramid, and advanced toward the two X-Men. Rogue appeared out of nowhere and struck Apocalypse right in the jaw, forcing him back. Gambit arrived ready to fight, but remembered that he'd run out of cards. So he tried the next best thing. He charged a nearby boulder, and Rogue took the object and hurled it at Apocalypse. The explosion was enough to cause Apocalypse to crash to the ground. Wolverine moved in for the kill and began slashing madly at Apocalypse's upper body. Apocalypse grasped Wolverine and tossed him right back at the other X-Men.

"Enough," Apocalypse snapped. "It is time to bring this to an end."

"My sentiments exactly!" Archangel announced before launching as many adamantium feathers as possible at the advanced console.

Apocalypse took notice of the extensive damage, and then a large field surrounded the pyramid, with Apocalypse and Archangel trapped inside. Apocalypse shouted, "No! NO!"

The antechamber began shaking violently, and Gambit announced, "This might be a good time to high tail it outta here."

"For once, I agree," Wolverine concurred. "Everybody out, now!"

"No, we can't leave Warren behind." Jubilee shouted. She attempted and failed to get through the field.

Wolverine grabbed Jubilee and said, "I'm sorry, Jubilee. We don't have a choice."

"Jubilee," Archangel called out. "Go! Get out of here!"

"No, Warren," Jubilee refused. "I'm not losing you, not again!"

Warren slumped back, smiling at Jubilee and said, "I love you."

Jubilee was frozen in place, and Wolverine had to pull on her to get her move. Rogue and Gambit were already on their way out of the antechamber, with Wolverine and Jubilee following. They could hear a banging sound behind them, looking back to see Apocalypse attempting to get free of the field. It was the first time the warlord appeared so desperate, but Wolverine and Jubilee ultimately ignored him.

"This cannot be," Apocalypse shouted in protest. "Apocalypse is eternal. Apocalypse is indestructible."

Wolverine had heard Apocalypse protesting, turned toward him and muttered, "Oh, shut up!"

The X-Men exited the antechamber as the field began to close in around the mini pyramid. The pyramid itself began to close it panels, trapping Apocalypse and Archangel inside. Then it slowly began rotating, even as Apocalypse was pounding from inside of it. The hieroglyphics on the pyramid and within the chamber were pulsating rapidly and the pyramid itself rotated faster and faster. Then it disappear in a brilliant flash of light.

* * *

Wolverine and the others made out of the Sphinx just in time to see a pillar of light shoot up toward the sky. It cut right through the black cloud and was followed by a sonic boom. The boom threw the group to the sand. Then the light disappeared and there was nothing but silence. Storm, Beast and the rest of the group reunited with Wolverine's group. Wolverine slowly rose to his knees followed closely by Jubilee.

"No!" she mused before breaking down into tear. Wolverine had to hold her close as Storm approached.

"What happened in there," she asked. "What happened to Apocalypse?"

"I don't know," Wolverine said. "He got trapped in his machine and then he just disappeared without a trace."

Beast looked around, seeing no sign of Archangel. "Where's Warren?"

Jubilee stood up suddenly and started walking passed the group, not even bothering to glance at any of them. "Gone! He gave his life to save the world. To save all of us."

Jubilee kept walking without looking back, while the X-Men and what remained of the Brotherhood glanced back at the Sphinx. There were mixed emotions among them. In the end, the group decided to finally return home. The battle again Apocalypse was finally over, but without question, it all came at too high a price.

* * *

Author's note: Wow! I didn't anticipate that this final part of the Age of Apocalypse Saga would be the longest by far. Be that as it may, the battle is over and Apocalypse is defeated, though at the cost of Archangel. Let me know what you think.


	20. Recovery Begins & Epilogue

Disclaimer: This is the last chapter of my story, and it has been a blast putting it all together. As always, I don't own X-Men and whatnot. A big thank you to everyone that supported my efforts.

* * *

Chapter XX  
Recovery Begins

It seemed as if things had been put back to normal at the Xavier Institute. As normal as could be expected anyway! Only, the school felt a little bit emptier with the loss of Angel. The students, though who knew Warren, knew that they all lost a great friend. Some were even driven to tears. The X-Men all knew that they lost a trusted ally. Jubilee was feeling the most pain out of everyone, which was to be expected considering how close she was to Warren. It was hard enough losing Warren to Apocalypse. In the end, Warren redeemed himself to save his loved ones, at the cost of his life. It didn't make any Jubilee any happier, even as she laid a modest bouquet of flowers on Warren's grave. It was a medium sized monument similar to the ones for Scott Summers and Jean Grey, and smaller than Charles Xavier's. Jubilee knelt down and fought the urge to cry, during which time Emma quietly approached her. Emma knelt down next to Jubilee and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Jubilee simply nodded to acknowledge Emma's present.

"I miss him." she whispered while wiping a tear from her face.

Emma was quiet and unsure of wanting to break the silence. She eventually said, "I'm not sure I'm the right person to tell you it'll be alright. But for whatever it's worth, I know what it feels like to lose someone we love."

Jubilee sighed in sadness. "I just couldn't save him."

"I think you did, Jubilee," Emma exclaimed. "You never gave up on him, and I think he realized that along the way. I think that in the end, the last thing that Warren wanted to remember was you."

Jubilee nodded upon hearing Emma's heartfelt word and said, "Thanks, Ms. Frost."

Emma stood up and calmly said, "Just call me Emma!" She then started to leave.

"Emma," Jubilee called, stopping Emma. "I don't suppose you remember our deal? About that one guy that you liked?"

Emma chuckled and said, "I did promise that, didn't I? It was Scott Summers."

Jubilee's jaw dropped. "You knew Cyclops?"

"I most certainly did," Emma said smiling and motioned to Jubilee. "C'mon! I'll tell you all about how we first met."

* * *

"Are you sure you won't reconsider," Ororo asked Lorna and Pietro. "There's more than enough room in the school."

Pietro and Lorna were on their way out of the institute, even though they were invited to stay on of the Brotherhood disbanded. "We really do appreciate the invitation, Storm," Pietro said, "But to be honest, Lorna and I don't quite feel like we fit in."

"You didn't quite fit into the Brotherhood either." Ororo stated.

Lorna had a light smile appear on her face. "Maybe, but we don't see ourselves as X-Men material."

Ororo shook her head, not out of disappointment but understanding. "I guess it can't be helped. Where will you go in the meantime? The Brotherhood is pretty much history, and Pyro disappeared after the battle."

Pietro and Lorna exchanged glances, and Pietro said, "The main reason we even join the Brotherhood was to search for our father."

The expression of Ororo's face quickly changed. "You mean Magneto? I doubt he'd even be aware of either of you."

"True, but it's better than sitting around doing nothing." Pietro stated.

"It's worth the risk," Lorna said. "If nothing else, he'll know that he has a family."

Ororo nodded and said, "Well, I personally wish you both the best of luck. Don't forget; our doors are always open."

"Thank you, Storm!" Lorna said as she and Pietro started on their way.

Ororo stepped back as the two sibling mutants left through the front entrance. She felt relieved to know that Pietro and Lorna were nothing like Pyro. At the same time, she worried about what happen in the event that they did find Magneto. She wondered how Magneto would react to the knowledge of his children's existence. Maybe it was false hope, but Ororo imagined that Magneto would surely welcome with open arms, the children he never knew he had. One could hope!

* * *

Rogue hadn't budged from Carol Danvers' bedside since the battle against Apocalypse. Hell, she didn't think that she, or anyone for that matter, would survive to return home. Yet there she was, watching over the comatose woman lying in front of her. It felt strange, as if Rogue was watching over a close relative. In a way, she and Danvers' were indeed very close. Closer than most sisters even! Rogue rested a gloved hand on Danvers' forehead, and she wondered if she would ever awaken. Maybe one day, or maybe never! Rogue removed her hand and that was when she took notice of Danvers' hand moving so slightly. Then her mouth opened just a bit to take in the air around her and her eyelids moved. Finally, Danvers' opened her eyes and saw Rogue.

"I know you," she said weakly. "It's Rogue, right?"

Rogue met Danvers' gaze and sighed, "Yeah, that's my name. Welcome back!"

Danvers' smirked for what might have been the first time in her life, and then looked around at her surroundings. "Damn, what a headache! Where am I and what'd I miss?"

Rogue chuckled and answered, "You're at the Xavier Institute, and you missed a lot. I'll tell you the whole story when you recover."

"Looking forward to the debrief," Danvers said, to which Rogue smiled as she started to leave. Then Danvers said, "I'm guessing you still got my powers!"

Rogue stopped dead in her track and turned toward Danvers. "Yeah, and it's kind of a permanent deal." As soon as she said that, Rogue figured Danvers was going to freak out.

Instead, Danvers shrugged and said, "Oh well, I guess we can't grieve forever. If anything, at least I know my powers are in good hands. Thanks Rogue!"

Rogue nodded and left Danvers in the infirmary to rest. Suddenly, Rogue didn't feel as distress as she had when intended to leave the school. The fact that Carol Danvers not only reawakened but gave her praise gave Rogue a little glimmer of hope for herself. Plus, there was another reason for Rogue to remain in the school.

* * *

Remy knew he had to do it. He knew it was better for everyone in the school if he left. After the secret was out that he'd been working for Essex, most if not all the X-Men found difficult to trust him. Hell, Remy wasn't sure if he trusted himself. So, he reasoned it would be better if he didn't stay. At the same time, Remy felt at home in the school. It had been years since he'd had a roof over his head. The X-Men took him in, sort of. He still broke into their house, so Remy believed that he had no business being there. He had no reason now to stay. Yeah, definitely better for his to leave! But no sooner was he halfway out, Logan appeared from the next room, possibly to confront the Cajun.

"I'm guessing you're on you way outta here!" he said.

Remy sighed and said, "Pretty much! I got some business to tend to down south."

Logan chuckled. "You know, I can smell a lie, and you definitely lying."

"Trust me on this, Logan," Remy said. "I think this place be better without me."

"You sure about that," Logan asked. "If you've got debts to repay, you could start with this one. I don't saying it, but you're damn good in a fight. I respect that and I respect you, but that doesn't mean I have to like you."

"Fair enough!" Remy laughed.

Logan smirked and approached Remy. "So, what it gonna be, Cajun? You feel like stickin' around?"

Remy didn't answer the question right away, but it certainly got him thinking. Logan, the one guy that generally didn't like him at all, was now giving Remy the benefit of the doubt. It amazed Remy. He was given a chance to prove his worth against Apocalypse. It seemed that he passed with flying colors! Now, there he was, being asked by Logan, more or less, to join the X-Men fulltime. Remy got thinking of the reason he could stay. There weren't many of them of which to speak, save one. Remy's eyes caught sight of a certain southern belle of whom he became very fond. He made him smirk, and his Cajun charm was making a big comeback.

"Well," Remy said. "I'm sure I can think of a few reasons to stick around."

Logan glanced over his shoulder and spotted Rogue, clearly smirking back at Remy. "Alright then! Welcome aboard," Remy prepare to leave when Logan grabbed his arm. "But you'd damn well better be good to her, Cajun! Or, you and I are gonna have some words."

Remy simply smiled and went on his way toward Rogue. Logan watched them get surprisingly close, as if they were going to share a kiss. It would've amusing to watch Rogue absorbs Remy's power again. But instead, Rogue covered Remy's mouth with her gloved hand and kiss back of it. In essence, she was kissing the Cajun, so it'd have to do. Logan chuckled and went his way through the hallowed school halls. For once everything seemed back to normal. Then Logan stopped short of one room. He saw Hank standing at the window, apparently very deep in thought. Logan walked into the room, silent enough for Hank not to hear him.

"You okay, Hank?"

Hank turned around upon hearing Logan's voice. "Hello, Logan. I'm alright, just a little bit concerned."

"About what?" a curious Logan asked.

Hank took a deep breath and explained, "Well, it seems that the Velocity's on board computer picked some unusual readings. They appeared to indicate some sort of temporal distortion."

"Temporal distortion?!" Logan asked, now gone from curious to confused.

Hank sat at his desk, cupped his furry blue hands together and continued, "Yes. I believe that whatever happened inside the Sphinx, it didn't actually kill Apocalypse. Rather, he may have actually been sent spiraling through the cracks of time itself. Hopefully, and at least in my view, never to be seen again."

"I don't know, Hank," a now deeply worried Logan said. "After hearing what you just said, somehow I don't think we'll be that lucky."

"Agreed," Hank exclaimed before rising from his seat and looking out the window. "I very much doubt that we've seen the last of Apocalypse."

Logan joined Hank in gazing out the window and into the blue sky. Birds flew across the sky into the distance, free of any restrictions. But any joy that flood the institute was replaced with uneasiness, concern and worry. Logan wasn't exactly the scientist type, but he trusted Hank enough to really think about everything. Only time would tell what the future held at that point. It all had Logan and Hank collectively thinking one thing and one thing only; the X-Men may truly haven't seen the last of Apocalypse.

* * *

_Epilogue_

_ Egypt---_

_ Night fell on the landscape of Egypt, in the area near the Sphinx that served as once served as a battlefield. The swirling sands covered the bodies of those who had fallen in battle. Debris from the destroyed military vehicle became part of the landscape. Amid the gusts, there remained but almost nothing to indicate the presence of a group of superpowers individual or an all powerful entity. All that remained were tiny pieces of blood and flesh. Pieces that belong to a fallen man. Pieces that, were someone closely examine, began to move again the wind. It was as though they possessed some sort of higher brain functions. The pieces converged onward toward a specific spot of the sand until they collided with each other. They merged. Two became one and merged with others, become larger pieces. This continued until all the pieces became one, single hand. The hand rose from the sand and was soon followed by an evil, sinister laugh._

* * *

_ Undisclosed Location  
Northwestern United States---_

_ In a dimly lit and wide open area, three people met in the shadows. "These things, these mutants are all abominations to this world." one voice exclaimed._

_ "Are you about this," a female voice asked. "The President won't approve of this action."_

_ "He'll have to approve," the first voice said. "This attack on the entire should be more than enough to sanction the program's revival."_

_ "How do we even know that it will help," the third voice asked. "Your first machine was already destroy by one mutant. One!"_

_ "It was a necessary loss, but the data from that battle was well worth it," the lead voice said. "The mutant scum won't know what hit them."_

_ "I have a bad feeling about this." the female voice exclaimed._

_ "I agree," the third voice said. "You'd better be right about this, Trask."_

_ "Don't worry," said the voice belonging to the one known only as Trask. "Now, I think it's time to reactivate Project: Wide Awake."_

_ The dimly lit area was suddenly illuminated by two very large lights, appearing to resemble eyes. Then came a booming, monotonous and clearly mechanized voice that announced, "PRIMARY SYSTEMS: ONLINE!"_

THE END

* * *

Author's note: Could it be?! A little food for thought, huh. Anyway, that's it for this gig. Since this is technically MOVIEVERSE, I'll be putting up a Cast chapter in a bit. Don't forget to review. Bah Bye!


	21. Cast of XMen: Apocalypse Rising

Disclaimer: This is the official (or unofficial, take your pick), Cast chapter for X-Men: Apocalypse Rising. Again, I don't own the X-Men rights. I'd once more like to send a big Thank You to all who have read and supported my effort in bringing my very first, full length X-Men story. Honorable mention and very special thanks to Miss Danax and eagle219406.

CAST

Wolverine/Logan----------------------------------------Hugh Jackman

Storm/Ororo Monroe---------------------------------------Halle Berry

Beast/Hank McCoy----------------------------------Kelsey Grammer

Emma Frost--------------------------------------------Kate Beckinsale

Rogue------------------------------------------------------Anna Paquin

Gambit/Remy LeBeau---------------------------------------Chris Pine

Iceman/Bobby Drake--------------------------------Shawn Ashmore

Shadowcat/Kitty Pryde-------------------------------------Ellen Page

Angel/Archangel/Warren Worthington III--------------Ben Foster

Jubilee------------------------------------------------------Jamie Chung

Apocalypse---------------------------------------------------Tony Todd

Nathaniel Essex---------------------------------------------Guy Pearce

Vertigo-------------------------------------------------------Rhona Mitra

Multiple Man/James Madrox--------------------------------Eric Dane

Pyro------------------------------------------------------Aaron Stanford

Domino--------------------------------------------------Olga Kurylenko

Blink------------------------------------------------------------Kate Mara

Avalanche---------------------------------------------------Matt Morgan

Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff---------------------Hayden Christensen

Polaris/Lorna Dane----------------------------------------Isabel Lucas

Carol Danvers---------------------------------------------------Ali Larter

Omega Red Hologram-------------------------------------Glenn Jacobs

Warren Worthington II---------------------------------Michael Murphy

Voice of Apocalypse----------------------------------------Peter Jessop

Voice of Danger Room--------------------------------------Trisha Helfer

* * *

Author's note: That brings a close to the story. I hope that you enjoyed the ride as I did. Thank you again for the support and the reviews. This has been KiloWhiskeyOscar, and I'm out!


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